fast + epp is one of the most respected structural engineering firms in the world, known for pushing what timber can do at building scale. when they commissioned their own headquarters in vancouver, they wanted a building that embodied that ambition. not a showcase, but a working laboratory.

f2a designed a four-storey hybrid mass timber building at the corner of yukon street and 7th avenue. the structure uses CLT extensively for floor plates, stairwells, elevator cores, and a prefabricated two-hour fire-rated party wall. all panels were precut and sequenced for direct trailer-to-crane installation. the lateral system pairs CLT shear walls with tectonus seismic isolation devices, a north american first for mass timber construction. in a significant earthquake, the devices absorb and dissipate energy and snap back to their original position, allowing immediate reoccupancy without structural repair.

the glazing system was equally considered. a shallow floor plate and strong western exposure presented a direct conflict between daylight, views, thermal comfort, and energy load. electrochromic glazing, dynamically controlled by sun position throughout the day, resolved all four simultaneously. no blinds, no glare, no overheating, unobstructed views to the north shore mountains.

it's the kind of building that could only come from people who understand both the architecture and the engineering. we're glad fast + epp trusted us with it.