Photo Credits: Mann Group
Mann Group, a real estate development company, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of their newest project, a purpose-built 193-unit rental apartment located in Chilliwack, British Columbia. To increase the integrity of the structure, while reducing the risk of fire, the project will be framed with cold-formed steel (CFS).
The groundbreaking for the Mann Group apartment building took place in downtown Chilliwack on March 25, 2022.
Project Helps Revitalize Downtown
The project will sit on a prime, three-acre lot in downtown Chilliwack, purchased several years ago by the Mann Group for redevelopment. The project is crucial to the urban development of the downtown core, says the Mann Group website.
Once complete, the rental apartments will consist of residential units for rent, that will include a garbage chute on each floor, smart automation which includes touchless entry to parking, the elevator, and the building entrance, EV charging stations for each unit and heated storage lockers on the first floor.
The development will also include a playground, a 3-story 7,500 sq ft amenity building which includes a lounge, gym, multi-purpose workstations, an indoor kids play area plus, an outdoor playground and retail space.
The rental apartments will be highly sought after by locals, says the Mann Group
“It’s a key piece in the revitalization of the downtown core in the City of Chilliwack, which we are thrilled to bring to life,” says Inder Mann, President and CEO of Mann Group.
The first phase of construction will include a pair of six-story buildings – mostly one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, with some three-bedrooms available, according to the Chilliwack Progress.
The apartment building will be constructed with steel framing instead of wood. It is the first project in Chilliwack to use CFS to frame a major construction building.
Steel Framing is a ‘Game Changer’
This is the first project in Chilliwack to use CFS rather than wood to frame a major construction building, says the Chilliwack Progress.
“The building will be constructed with steel framing instead of wood, providing significant advantages to the integrity of the structure, and making it livable for hundreds of years to come, and of course minimizing fire risk,” Mann says.
The use of CFS framing on Mann Group’s apartment buildings will be a game-changer “for how we build into the future,” Mann says.
The target completion date for the two apartment buildings is November 2023. The next stage of development will include a mixed-use residential and commercial development facing Main Street, according to Fraser Valley Current.
The target completion date for the two apartment buildings is November 2023.
Why Steel Framing?
Cold-formed steel (CFS), or metal stud framing, is made from structural quality sheet steel formed into C-sections and other shapes by roll forming steel through a series of dies. CFS, a preferred framing material, is:
- Versatile and can be cut to exact lengths
- Dimensionally stable and won’t expand or contract with changes in moisture content
- Lightweight compared to wood and concrete
- Durable and won’t warp, split, crack or spall when exposed to the elements
- Sustainable and 100 percent recyclable
- Highest in strength-to-weight ratio of all structural framing materials, according to the Steel Framing Industry Association
- Non-combustible, a safeguard against fire accidents
Article cited from BuildSteel.org