A pending change in the state building code is prompting developers to embrace timber construction for new multifamily projects, including a new proposal for a 34-unit apartment building in Roxbury.
Boston Real Estate Collaborative and D2 Development are partnering on the proposed 7-story, 42,820-square-foot building to replace an 8,464-square-foot parking lot at 11 East Lenox St.
Designed by Boston-based Monte French Design Studio, the structure would comply with pending updates to the state building code that allows cross-laminated timber for structural elements of mid-rise buildings. The project will seek Passive House Institute US certification by installing triple-pane windows and continuous exterior insulation to maximize energy efficiency, according to a project notification form submitted to the Boston Planning & Development Agency.
Four of the units would be reserved for households earning a maximum 70 percent of the area median income.
The two developers have partnered on five projects in the neighborhood, including a 23-unit project at 1 Newcomb Place scheduled for completion in early 2021.
Cross-laminated timber construction is gaining favor as an alternative to traditional wood-framed buildings used in midrise construction.
Placetailor and Generate Architecture + Technologies are developing a 14-unit “Model C” housing prototype including timber construction and Passive House techniques at 201 Hampden St. in Roxbury.
And in July, developers proposed a 14-story timber tower in a response to the city of Boston’s call for proposals at parcel 8 in Nubian Square.