Charter Telecom Headquarters

Situated on a narrow lot in the Greater Victoria area, the Charter Telecom Headquarters building is an architectural design marvel, featuring a mass timber frame made entirely from locally sourced BC wood. The first commercial office in North America to be Passive House certified, the Charter Telecom building not only provides a beautiful workplace, but is also a progressive and innovative landmark in the neighbourhood it calls home. Lower lifecycle costs within a high-performance building make this structure a testament to wood application and sustainable materials as a means for overcoming architectural challenges.

Purpose

• Mixed-use commercial, private residential and event space to bring all greater Victoria employees into one home, connect with the surrounding community, and lead by example

Novel Features

• Four storey high continuous slender CLT panel shear walls, balloon framed

Progressive Features

• First Passive House Commercial Office Building in North America
• Mass timber framing over the parking area
• First mass timber multi-storey building on Vancouver Island (just barely – others built within months)

Notable Value

• Unwavering commitment to the design team values and goals

Awards

• Canadian Green Building Commercial/Industrial [Small] Award, 2020

LINKS:
Waymark Architecture
Passive House Canada

SHOUT OUTS:
Manoah Gutknecht (Blackwell) – Gravity System, Enclosure Framing, Construction Administration
Matt van Riesen (Blackwell) – Lateral System
Tyler Best (Blackwell) – Lateral System, Construction Administration

IMAGE CREDITS:
Sarah King