A 200-bed acute hospital built using a specialised mass-timber hybrid system is comparable in price, just 4.1–4.5 per cent more expensive in upfront costs, compared with a conventional steel-and-concrete scheme. Delivering faster construction, substantially lower embodied carbon, improved indoor air quality, and greater flexibility for future reconfiguration. What’s more, the modest up-front premium would be swallowed by the hospital’s total life‑cycle expenditure and can be more than offset by operational and environmental gains.
The finding comes from a new study by KPMB Architects in partnership with British Columbia’s Provincial Health Services Authority, and presented at a WoodWorks webinar last week. The team modelled construction costs, code compliance, and operational outcomes for a horizontal mass-timber prototype and tested a customised hybrid solution that aligns clinical planning with engineered timber dimensions: “We should be looking at design for health care that optimises operations as well as life cycle because the initial capital cost is relatively small,” according to Christopher McQuillan, principal at KPMB. Whilst Juan Jose Cruz Martinez, the senior director of capital projects at PHSA, told the webinar that mass timber is a route to “create resilient, efficient and healing centre buildings.”
The prototype is a 7.5-by-4.6-metre panel grid compatible with cross-laminated timber and other engineered panels, while retaining concrete or concrete-and-steel systems where long, uninterrupted spans are essential for diagnostics and treatment. Structurally, the design pairs Delta beams with glulam columns and cross-laminated timber decks, keeping cores and the primary lateral system in concrete. By doing this, it reduces weight by one-third compared to a steel-and-concrete frame and cuts embodied carbon by 64 per cent.
And when it comes to fire safety and code compliance — common obstacles to timber adoption in healthcare — an alternative‑solutions pathway backed by targeted fire testing and detailed engineering documentation. The team increased compartmentation inside timber zones, specified higher sprinkler density, and used pressurised stair shafts and elevator cores to limit vertical smoke movement. Sleeping areas are configured with multiple evacuation points to protect patients with limited mobility, measures the consultants say are central to persuading regulators and clinicians.
Meanwhile, infection control and durability concerns are also addressed: visible wood is concentrated in low-touch areas, and non-porous coatings, such as clear varnish or epoxy, are specified where hygiene demands are highest, enabling routine cleaning without compromising surface performance. Whilst the study identified robust moisture‑management protocols during construction and in service, including leak detection and careful detailing of penetrations, to protect timber assemblies from rot and mould.
Beyond capital and safety, the new model identifies several operational benefits that accrue over a building’s life. Mass timber’s off‑site prefabrication and rapid on‑site erection shorten schedules, reduce labour exposure, and cut programme risk — advantages that matter when health authorities face tight delivery windows. Meanwhile, interior finishes with lower volatile organic compound emissions may improve staff comfort and support patient recovery. On suitable sites, a lighter building material can reduce foundation requirements and ancillary costs, further narrowing the delivery-time and lifecycle cost gap.
- To learn more about mass timber use in acute hospitals, click here for Wood Central’s special feature on the Prince Edward Memorial Hospital in Ontario, North America’s first unencapsulated mass timber hospital. And to learn more about the usage of engineered wood products in exposed hospital settings, click here.
