The Canadian Wood Council is pleased to introduce a new design tool: the Exposed Mass Timber Calculator.

Developed to support practitioners working with encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC), this tool helps determine whether a compartment design aligns with the 2025 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC).

By entering key information about your compartment layout—including size, wall configuration, mass timber elements, and encapsulation details—the calculator evaluates whether the design meets code requirements for exposed mass timber elements.

The tool allows users to:

• Evaluate permissible percentages of exposed mass timber elements (beams, columns, walls, and ceilings)

• Confirm compliance within suites or fire compartments

• Identify potential code issues through automated warnings

• Visualize compartment configurations with a generated 3-D model

• Review encapsulation requirements and supporting notes

This practical calculator helps architects, engineers, and code professionals explore compliant design options more efficiently when working with mass timber construction.

Try the Exposed Mass Timber Calculator

Photo © Tom Arban

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Call for Submissions: 2025 Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarships for Wood Related Research

Catherine Lalonde Memorial Scholarships are presented to graduate students, enrolled at Canadian Universities, who demonstrate excellence in their studies of structural wood products or wood design. The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) invites submissions from graduate students in engineering, architecture, and wood science. Submitted projects must demonstrate their value and impact on Canadian-made structural wood products and/or their role in advancing domestic wood construction.

The CWC will award two scholarships to graduate students whose outstanding wood research not only demonstrates academic excellence but also mirrors the unwavering passion for the wood industry exemplified by Catherine Lalonde, in whose honor the scholarships are named.

Catherine, a professional engineer, was a passionate representative of our industry who relentlessly championed the use of wood in residential and commercial construction during her 10 years with the CWC. She served as president of the CWC from 2000 until 2003 when she tragically lost her battle with cancer. This award was established to commemorate Catherine’s memory and perpetuate the legacy of excellence and advocacy she bestowed upon the Canadian wood products industry throughout her influential tenure at the CWC. 

Scholarship Details and Application Process

1. Scholarship Value
Two scholarships, valued at $3,000 each, will be awarded to outstanding graduate students.

2. Who can apply?
Students enrolled in graduate programs in engineering, architecture, or wood science whose work contributes to the advancement of domestic wood products and construction. 

3. Application Process 

4. Full Application Submission Checklist

For Step 2, applicants must upload the following documents to the submission portal: 

• One cover letter. 
• Official transcripts: 
  • Master’s applicants: undergraduate and graduate transcripts. 
  • Doctoral applicants: master’s transcript. 
• Two-page description of the project, plus up to two pages of drawings or photos (if applicable). 
• Two letters of reference, preferably from faculty members or supervisors familiar with the applicant’s work. 

For additional information, please contact Ioana Lazea at ilazea@cwc.ca  

The Canadian Wood Council partnered with federal and provincial governments and organizations, as well as key experts, to conduct a series of five fire research burns on a full-scale mass timber structure in Ottawa. The five tests occurred in June 2022. The project supports market acceptance of tall and large mass timber buildings in Canada and encourages the construction of buildings that include mass timber.

With the most certified sustainable forests in the world, Canada is a champion of sustainable forest management and in a position to solidify our global leadership in the bioeconomy and forest sector by advancing mass timber adoption. Mass timber is revolutionizing the building industry as a renewable, nature-based construction material. Recognizing mass timber’s vital role in achieving a low carbon, built environment, the Canadian Wood Council and its partners are dedicated to advancing its adoption.

Click here for the final report

Purpose
The project was designed to support market acceptance of tall and large mass timber buildings in Canada and encourage the construction of buildings that include mass timber. By designing and executing a series of demonstration fire research tests on a full-scale mass timber structure, and collecting data from tests, the project:

• Demonstrated mass timber fire performance to key stakeholders including building officials, fire service and insurance industry
• Encouraged building code advancements that will allow for taller and larger wood buildings Support the adoption of the 2020 National Building Code introducing new provisions to allow 12 storey mass timber buildings
• Supported future code change proposals and the development of alternative solutions
• Encouraged the development of / provide data and information to support the transition toward performance-based codes, long-term strategy
• Promoted the adoption of mass timber by developing educational materials for targeted audiences
• Supported the maximum use of exposed mass timber elements (visual aesthetic), leading to cost competitive projects and health and wellness benefits
• Demonstrated the ability of different mass timber assemblies to maintain structural integrity under, during and post-construction fire scenarios in a way that is comparable to (or superior to) conventional materials.
• Supported the transition to Performance-based codes

Summary of the Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test #5

Objectives
While there is evidence, research, and case studies that demonstrate the comparable, safety and performance of mass timber construction compared to construction using conventional materials like steel and concrete, misconceptions still circulate. By designing and executing a series of demonstration fire research burns on a full-scale mass timber structure, and collecting data from these burns, our objective was to:

• Showcase, through fire demonstration tests, that mass timber construction is a safe and viable alternative to other more conventional construction systems (steel & concrete) for constructing large or tall buildings;
• Support the implementation and adoption of the 2020 edition of the National Building Code of Canada;
• Support future code change proposals to extend the use of mass timber to other building types, heights, and sizes;
• Support the transition to Performance-based codes;
• Use the results and finds from the demonstration tests to develop viable solutions to mitigate construction fire risk.

Targeted Audiences
Various key stakeholders within the construction sector need to be educated through science-based tests that mass timber building systems can be designed to provide a safe building environment when subjected to fire. The key groups targeted by the project include, but are not limited to:

• Building Code Officials & Regulators
• Fire Services Professionals
• Insurance Professionals
• Building & Construction Industry
• Sustainability Specialists
• Building Occupants & Owners

Funders & Stakeholders

• Natural Resources Canada
• BC Forestry Innovation Investment
• Government of British Columbia – Office of Mass Timber Implementation (OMTI)
• Ontario – Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
• Alberta – Agriculture, Forestry & Rural Economic Development
• Québec – Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs
• Canadian Wood Council
• FPInnovations

Full Scale Fire Testing and Research
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) provided support for the technical work and science-based fire tests, as part of its research to inform the advancement of safe and innovative solutions across Canada’s construction industry.

Key Consultants & Contractors

• GHL Consultants Ltd.
• CHM Fire Consultants Ltd.
• ISL Engineering
• Timmerman Timberworks Inc.

Key Suppliers & Manufacturers
Five mass timber product manufacturers supplied the mass timber materials:

1. Western Archrib:
   ◦ Glulam beams and columns
   ◦ Westdek panels for the roof
2. Element5 Modern Timber Buildings
   ◦ Glulam beams and columns
   ◦ CLT floor
3. Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation
   ◦ Glulam beams and columns
   ◦ CLT floor and walls
4. StructureCraft: Timber engineering & Construction:
   ◦ DLT floor and roof
5. Nordic Structures
   ◦ Glulam beams and columns
   ◦ CLT roof and walls

Several key material suppliers also supported the program:

1. MTC
   ◦ Connectors and fasteners
2. Rockwool
   ◦ Fire Proof Insulation
3. Hilti
   ◦ Fireproof material

The structure for the Ottawa Fire Test was built by Timmerman Timberworks Inc.

ARCHITECT: Faction Architecture Inc.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: RJC Engineers

DEVELOPER: Faction Projects Inc.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: Faction Construction

BUILDING CODE CONSULTANT: GHL Consultants Ltd.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of naturally:wood

In Kelowna, British Columbia’s evolving industrial north end, The Exchange stands as a forward-thinking demonstration of what’s possible when architectural ambition meets technical precision. Designed and developed by Faction Architecture and Faction Projects, the building blends mass timber with conventional materials in a hybrid system that highlights both structural performance and environmental responsibility.

At the heart of the structural system is nail-laminated timber (NLT), used for both floor and roof assemblies. NLT is a mass timber product formed by mechanically fastening dimensional lumber together to create solid panels—an approach well-suited to exposed timber applications that value durability, texture, and straightforward fabrication. For this project, the team fabricated the panels in-house using locally sourced materials and trades. While this gave them greater control over cost and scheduling, it also introduced design and compliance challenges.

The team opted for a fluted NLT profile to enhance visual appeal and improve acoustic performance. Because the panel design differed from prescriptive norms, it required approval as an  alternative solution under the BC Building Code. Extensive analysis was conducted to demonstrate compliance with fire-resistance, vibration, and load-bearing requirements. Informed by existing NLT fire test data, the design team minimized voids between laminations to enhance charring behaviour and performed physical load testing at Okanagan College to confirm strength and stiffness performance.

Complementing the NLT panels is a glulam post-and-beam system that forms the substructure, supported by concrete elevator and stair cores. Together, these elements support a program that includes retail and light industrial space at grade, with two to three storeys of open-plan office space above. A rooftop patio offers sweeping views, reinforcing the project’s appeal to creative businesses and environmentally conscious tenants.

The Exchange also showcases a thoughtful approach to the building envelope, a key factor in achieving Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code—the highest step currently applicable to non-residential buildings in the region. The high-performance envelope includes a combination of weathering steel and corrugated metal cladding, high-performance glass windows, semi-rigid exterior insulation, breathable weather barrier, plywood sheathing, lumber studs, batt insulation, gypsum board and a polyethylene vapour barrier.  The light-frame wood walls contribute to envelope performance in two important ways: 1) wood has lower thermal conductivity than other materials, so thermal bridging is dramatically reduced, and 2) the stud wall configuration allowed for thicker insulation in the cavities between studs.

This integrated approach—combining exposed timber construction, envelope efficiency, and locally supported fabrication—enabled the project team to deliver a space that performs as well technically as it does aesthetically. And with over 90% of the leasable area spoken for at completion, it’s clear that tenants are responding to both the look and the logic of the building.

The Exchange sets a precedent for accessible mass timber construction in smaller markets, particularly in contexts where a streamlined fabrication process and strong design-control loop can help close the gap between sustainable ambition and budgetary constraints.

As Faction Projects continues work on the remaining phases of the development, The Exchange stands as both a technical prototype and a commercial success—proof that high-performance, low-carbon construction can be as practical as it is inspiring.