Vancouver just opened a 10-story office building made entirely of wood that’s designed to wiggle and shake during earthquakes. The Hive, which looks like a giant honeycomb, is now the tallest earthquake-resistant wooden building in North America.
This isn’t just about trying something different. The wooden building traps 4,403 tons of CO2 inside its structure – like taking 1,300 cars off the road for a year. Plus, wood naturally handles earthquakes better than steel and concrete because it can flex and move.
Wood Makes a Comeback
Before the 1900s, most buildings were made of wood. Then steel and concrete took over because they were cheaper to mass produce. But now cities like New York, Milwaukee, and Vancouver are going back to wood to fight climate change. There are 2,700 wooden buildings either built or being planned across the US – double what we had in 2022.
The Hive’s secret is a joint system inspired by how tectonic plates move under the earth. Instead of fighting the earthquake, the building moves with it. Toronto architecture firm Dialog spent a decade perfecting this design, originally for an organic farming company.
The building will house offices for the Insurance Company of British Columbia. But its real purpose is proving that tall wooden buildings can work in earthquake zones, opening the door for more eco-friendly construction across Canada.
