A study on the use of mass timber in the construction of a 200-plus bed acute hospital will help health care clients and others understand the benefits of integrating the timber medium without compromising performance, safety, regulatory compliance or adding significant cost.

Christopher McQuillan, principal of KPMB Architects, who led the study in collaboration with B.C.’s Provincial Health Service Authority, told a webinar audience mass timber would add 4.1 to 4.5 per cent more than concrete/steel in construction costs, but that number represents a small portion of the life-cycle costs of the operation of a hospital.

“We should be looking at design for health care that optimizes operations as well as life cycle because the initial capital cost is relatively small,” McQuillan told a WoodWorks webinar titled Emerging Solutions for Mass Timber in Healthcare.

He added KPMB is looking at where cost reductions over the lifespan of the building can be made.

McQuillan and his team chose a horizontal or flat mass timber design for a test case hospital in part to align with the structural, fire safety and operational needs.