Design Best Practices for Mid-Rise Light Wood Frame Structures
Course Overview Light wood frame (LWF) construction is an accessible, cost-effective, low-carbon solution for mid-rise multi-family buildings. This session will clarify fundamental differences in approach between traditional low-rise LWF construction and modern mid-rise construction methods. LWF is an attractive option for mid-rise development and participants will gain practical insights into design efficiencies, from meeting seismic demands and other key structural considerations to how engineered wood products and specialty hardware can be used to optimize design. The session will also explore prefabrication strategies, highlighting the challenges and opportunities offsite construction presents for streamlined, higher-quality construction. Whether attendees are new to mid-rise wood design or looking to optimize their next project, this session will share valuable information they can apply to their next mid-rise building. Learning Objectives Distinguish key differences between traditional low-rise and modern mid-rise light wood frame construction, including changes in design loads, seismic requirements, and code updates. Apply practical design strategies to optimize mid-rise wood structures—such as efficient stacked framing, engineered wood products, specialty hardware, and solutions for wood shrinkage and differential movement. Evaluate prefabrication and offsite construction methods for mid-rise projects, identifying both challenges and opportunities to improve construction quality, speed, and coordination. Course Video Speakers Bio Sean Henry Director – Mid-Rise, Principal Tacoma Engineers Sean is the Director of Mid-Rise and a Principal at Tacoma Engineers, bringing 20 years of structural engineering experience to the role. Since joining the firm in 2005, Sean has led the design of a wide range of building types, with a particular focus on mid-rise developments including multi-family, seniors and affordable housing projects. He is especially recognized for his expertise in light wood frame construction with multiple projects designed and built since the adoption of 6 storey wood framed buildings in Ontario. He also has extensive experience with cold-formed steel, structural steel, reinforced concrete, precast, and concrete block building systems. Sean focuses on delivering practical, efficient structural solutions that support design intent while meeting the demands of constructability and cost-effectiveness.
From Trees to Keys: Scaling Industrialized Wood Construction
Course Overview This session brings together a panel of experts to discuss lessons learned and visions for wood-based manufactured housing solutions. The panel will address key challenges in scaling modular and panelized wood construction, including design for manufacture and assembly, systems integration, workforce transformation, and product standardization. Innovators throughout the supply chain will explore requirements for bringing scalable mass timber housing into the mainstream, from procurement to policy and from urban infill to supply chain readiness. The discussion will focus on how factory-built housing and wood innovation can contribute to addressing Canada’s housing crisis. Learning Objectives Assess practical lessons learned from implementing modular, panelized, and mass-timber housing projects, including challenges related to design coordination, manufacturing constraints, and on-site assembly. Explain how integrated approaches across structure, envelope, and mechanical systems enable scalable, high-performance wood-based housing solutions, drawing on examples from factory-built and turnkey delivery models. Evaluate the roles of standardization, procurement models, workforce capabilities, and policy alignment in advancing wood-based manufactured housing as a viable response to Canada’s housing crisis. Course Video Speakers Bio Hailey Quiquero Technical Manager WoodWorks Ontario Hailey is a structural engineer and has focused her career specializing in sustainable architecture and the advancement of timber building systems. Hailey spent several years of her career in research on the behaviour and fire safety of mass timber, as a structural designer with Entuitive in Toronto, and working to develop affordable housing products built of high-performance timber panels, contributing to the successful completion of several turnkey housing projects with Assembly Corp. (previously R-Hauz). In her current role as a Technical Manager for the Canadian Wood Council’s WoodWorks program, Hailey works with the team to aid project teams with technical support and to bring resources and education to industry stakeholders, advocating for the successful implementation of a beautiful and sustainable building material in our built environment. Ben Chicoine President Fab Structures Ben Chicoine is an accomplished entrepreneur with over 20 years of hands-on experience in the construction industry. As the co-founder of Fab Structures, he has built a multi-million dollar company specializing in mass timber and panelized construction, with energy efficiency at its core. Certified in Passive House design, Ben now consults on high-performance building strategies, championing innovative solutions that push the boundaries of sustainable construction in Canada. Kyle Power Director of Construction Assembly Corp. Kyle is Director of Construction at Assembly. He brings 15+ years of end-to-end construction management experience with Canada’s largest general contractor. Kyle held key leadership roles in the delivery of several high-profile projects in the GTA, including commercial high rise, complex retail renovations, and high rise residential. He is responsible for successful project construction delivery from the pre-construction planning stages to close-out. Kyle successfully executes the construction of Assembly’s unique end-to-end housing product and the delivery strategy underpinning its mission of creating faster, more sustainable housing. Cara Sloat Mechanical Principal Hammerschlag and Joffe Inc. Cara Sloat brings over 20 years of increasingly complex experience in high-performance mechanical design and energy efficiency expertise to Hammerschlag and Joffe. She has worked extensively with decarbonizing building portfolios, including for Fortune 50 companies, and has worked in high-performance mechanical system design, with a career focus on energy efficiency, energy exchange, and indoor environmental quality. In our current housing crisis, she is also passionate about finding better mechanical solutions for the Canadian housing market. She delivers projects at every scale, and believes every building deserves a quality and well thought out mechanical system. She has LEED certified over half a million square feet of new construction real estate projects, and provided energy audits for over 5 million square feet of commercial properties, identifying millions in potential energy savings.
Timber and Off-Site Construction
Course Overview Join WoodWorks and prefab panel supplier, Ron Anderson + Sons, as they discuss strategies for navigating the world of off-site construction, explaining the challenges and benefits of prefabrication and how they impact the design and construction process. Learn about different strategies for navigating code compliance and coordinating with a prefabricated component supplier. The discussion will also cover common constraints like high seismic forces and high efficiency envelopes and how to address these with off-site construction. This one-hour presentation will provide a deeper understanding of the off-site construction process and its implications for your role in designing and constructing wood buildings. Learning Objectives Learn when off-site construction can deliver cost and schedule savings. Learn how to ensure design coordination and specifications align with project requirements and prefabricated component supplier constraints. Learn how construction strategies and detailing are affected when using prefabricated components and how to ensure successful project outcomes. Course Video Speakers Bio Derek Ratzlaff, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., PE Technical Director WoodWorks BC Derek began his career in the wood industry in high school working on single and multi-family light wood frame construction. After university, and almost 20 years of structural consulting experience, Derek has worked in all types of wood construction and played key roles in the delivery of iconic BC wood structures including the Richmond Olympic Oval and Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre. He brings his experience in design and construction to support the industry as a Technical Director for Woodworks BC. Jack Downing President and CEO Ron Anderson and Sons Ltd. Wood Framing Jack’s journey in the framing industry spans over 20 years. He joined RAS in 2012 and his adeptness in orchestrating large sites and coordinating multiple crews immediately made him an invaluable asset to the company. His dedication and strong leadership led to his appointment as President and CEO of RAS in 2019. His journey from a skilled professional to respected industry leader exemplifies the ethos of growth and opportunity that defines RAS’s company culture. Under Jack’s leadership RAS is poised for continuous growth and innovation in the construction industry.
Exploring the Feasibility of Point-Supported Mass Timber for Tallwood Construction
Course Overview This session examines the growing potential of point-supported mass timber systems in tall building construction, contrasting them with traditional timber framing and conventional steel and concrete approaches. It highlights regulator advancements, the role of mass timber in addressing mid-density housing needs, and the structural fundamentals of gravity and lateral systems. Through cost and schedule comparisons, design principles like bi-axial bending and punching shear, and insights from ongoing Canadian codification efforts, the presentation offers a comprehensive overview supported by real-world projects such as VAHA Burrard and BCIT Tall Timber. Learning Objectives Evaluate the opportunities and constraints for point-supported mass timber when compared to traditional timber framing schemes. Analyze the schedule and cost benefits of point-supported mass timber systems versus steel and concrete in tall construction projects. Explore state-of-the-art design methodologies and ongoing efforts towards codification in Canada. Course Video Speakers Bio Carla Dickof, P.Eng., M.A.Sc. Associate Principal | Director of Research & Development Fast+Epp Carla Dickof is the Associate Principal & Director of Research and Development at Fast + Epp, where she leads the Testing Team at Fast + Epp’s R&D hub, Concept Lab, and uses the data gleaned from research programs to regularly contribute to academic journals and conferences. Carla completed her Master’s degree studies at the University of British Columbia, where her thesis research focused on hybrid systems, specifically those combining steel and mass timber (CLT). Her experience as an engineer spans commercial, recreational, educational, and residential projects – and, since joining Fast + Epp in 2012, Carla has gained a robust fluency in all major building materials, including concrete, steel, light-framed wood, heavy timber, and mass timber. Her understanding of building physics and materials brings invaluable insights to her projects. Alejandro Coronado, P.Eng. Technical Advisor WoodWorks BC Alejandro Coronado is a Technical Advisor with a multidisciplinary background spanning contracting, supply, and consulting engineering. With both a Diploma and a Bachelor’s Degree in Structural Engineering from BCIT, Alejandro began his career in single-family residential design and steadily advanced to contribute to landmark projects such as the Centre Block Base Isolation at Parliament Hill, the UBC Museum of Anthropology Great Hall Renewal, the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus, and a mass timber campus in Silicon Valley. Initially drawn to mass timber for its expressive architectural potential, Alejandro quickly recognized its broader value in addressing today’s social and environmental challenges. Through many years of hands-on experience, Alejandro has become a champion for sustainable construction and simple yet effective structural solutions.
Design and Construction of Permanent Wood Foundations
Course Overview This course will provide guidance on the design and construction of permanent wood foundations (PWF) based on the Canadian standard CSA S406-16 – Specification of Permanent Wood Foundations for Housing and Small Buildings. Topics will include site selection, backfilling, PWF floor systems, air and vapour barriers, insulation techniques, crawl spaces, and design considerations for high wind and seismic zones. The course will give attendees a comprehensive overview of the structural and building science requirements for designing and constructing PWF systems. Learning Objectives History of PWF construction. Wood preservatives and material requirements for PWF. Overview of pertinent design and construction aspects of PWF. Standardization of PWF as per CSA S406.
Understanding Glulam: The structural and architectural capabilities of mass timber
Course Overview In this course, you’ll gain insight into the design and manufacturing considerations involved in using glulam in buildings. As one of the oldest mass timber products used in Canada, glulam offers exceptional flexibility and can be incorporated into a wide range of building types—particularly where curvature and expressive geometry are key. Presenters will outline design and manufacturing strategies for creating efficient structures, showing how glulam can be used not just as columns and beams, but as the primary structure in today’s innovative buildings—whether architecturally driven or focused on value and efficiency. They will also cover the availability of glulam products across Canada and explain how to maximize the value of the timber used. Practical tips will be shared to help designers and specifiers take full advantage of glulam’s attributes in a cost-efficient way. Learning Objectives Participants will learn the design strategies employed when using curvature and geometry in buildings and gain an understanding of what is possible with expressive architecture. Participants will understand the practical constraints of glulam manufacturing, including how to approach the design and specification of glulam members. Participants will learn how different wood species and strength grades are applied in glulam design, and how to use them efficiently for optimal performance. Participants will understand how geometry, fire ratings, and member layups influence the cost-efficiency and design potential of glulam systems. Course Video Speakers Bio Andre Lema Manager of Business Development Western Archrib Andre Lema, a seasoned professional in the wood industry, brings decades of experience and expertise. Starting as a carpenter and advancing through a degree in Construction Engineering at NAIT, Andre has been instrumental in driving the success of Western Archrib. His passion for wood and dedication to fostering client relationships have made him a key figure in the industry. Alejandro Coronado, P.Eng. Technical Advisor WoodWorks BC Alejandro Coronado is a Technical Advisor with a multidisciplinary background spanning contracting, supply, and consulting engineering. With both a Diploma and a Bachelor’s Degree in Structural Engineering from BCIT, Alejandro began his career in single-family residential design and steadily advanced to contribute to landmark projects such as the Centre Block Base Isolation at Parliament Hill, the UBC Museum of Anthropology Great Hall Renewal, the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus, and a mass timber campus in Silicon Valley. Initially drawn to mass timber for its expressive architectural potential, Alejandro quickly recognized its broader value in addressing today’s social and environmental challenges. Through many years of hands-on experience, Alejandro has become a champion for sustainable construction and simple yet effective structural solutions.
A Zero Carbon Hybrid Wood Supertall Future
Course Overview With buildings generating 40% of global carbon emissions, we need to achieve net-zero by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement target and limit global warming to 2°C. Timber sequesters an average of 1.9 metric tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent emissions per cubic meter (Sathre & O’Connor, 2010). While a purely mass timber tall building may not be the most cost-efficient solution, a hybrid structure can maximize the overall use of wood by volume in the most cost-efficient manner. Floor systems in buildings contribute as much as 73% of the environmental impact of a high-rise building’s structure (Lankhorst et al., 2019), making them an excellent target for reducing embodied carbon. DIALOG’s patent- pending Hybrid Timber Floor System (HTFS) takes advantage of the benefits of cross-laminated timber (CLT) combined with pre-stressed concrete to achieve a 12-metre column-free span. The HTFS is proposed as part of our Hybrid Timber Tower, a 105-storey mixed-use prototype that is being evaluated and tested by DIALOG and EllisDon. The prototype structure consists of the hybrid timber floor, combined with a concrete core and an external steel frame. Fire safety is achieved in the floor panels as the exposed wood chars to form a protective layer, while the non-combustible concrete and steel band continues to support the panel. The exposed CLT panels also provide a biophilic appeal, which has shown to support cognitive function as well as physical and psychological well-being (Vidovich, 2020). DIALOG, EllisDon, FPInnovations and other partners have completed the first phase of small-scale testing on over 40 panels. We are scheduled for fire testing of the panels in Ottawa with NRCan this fall with full scale testing of the 12-meter panels starting in late 2022. Learning Objectives Describe how hybrid mass timber systems—such as the Hybrid Timber Floor System (HTFS)—reduce embodied carbon and support zero‑carbon goals in high-rise, mixed-use developments. Explain the structural, fire safety, and performance characteristics of hybrid CLT–concrete floor assemblies, including how charring, concrete bands, and steel elements contribute to long-span capability and code compliance. Evaluate the role of multidisciplinary research, prototyping, and large-scale testing in validating hybrid timber technologies for supertall applications, including their impacts on sustainability, biophilia, and cost efficiency. Course Video Speaker Bio Craig Applegath, BSc, BArch, MArchUD, PPOAA, AIBC, NSAA, AIA, FRAIC, LEED® APBD+C Founding Partner & Architect DIALOG Craig Applegath is the founding principal of DIALOG’s Toronto Studio, and a passionate designer who believes in the power of built form to meaningfully improve the wellbeing of communities and the environment they are part of. Since graduating from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University with a Master of Architecture in Urban Design Craig has focused his energies on leading innovative planning and design projects that address the complex challenges facing our communities, as well as on his advocacy of sustainable building design and urban regeneration and symbiosis. Craig’s area of practice includes the master planning and design of institutional projects, including post secondary education, healthcare facilities, as well as the design of innovative mixed-use- facilities. Craig was a founding Board Member of Sustainable Buildings Canada, a Past President of the Ontario Association of Architects, and the current moderator of SymbioticCities.net. Craig has lectured or taught at Harvard, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, as well as at many professional and sector related conferences around the world. In 2001 Craig was made a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada for his contributions to the profession of architecture. In 2017 he was presented with the OALA Honourary Membership Award for his contributions to the cause of landscape architecture in Ontario. Neel Bavishi, PEng, CEM Building Performance Analysis, Associate DIALOG Neel is passionate about applying the art and science of building performance simulation and data-driven design to produce positive outcomes for the built environment. He embraces holistic solutions that minimize the environmental impact of building assets while providing enhanced value to building owners, developers, policymakers, and designers through improved well-being and reduced total cost of ownership. Neel believes that an integrated and collaborative approach that incorporates diverse perspectives is essential for delivering high-performance buildings. A mechanical engineer by training, Neel is well-versed in whole-building energy modelling for both new and existing buildings and lifecycle cost analysis, design optimization, and data visualization. His experience includes developing energy models for green building certification programs, carbon-neutral retrofit studies and district energy strategies, and the development of net-zero energy and emissions policies and standards for municipal, provincial, and federal government bodies. His projects span various asset classes, including recreational facilities, commercial high-rise towers, multi-unit residential buildings, hospitals, data centres, and transit facilities. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario and is a Certified Energy Manager. Cameron Ritchie, PEng, PE, PhD, BSE Structural Engineer, Associate DIALOG Cameron is an Associate on the Structural Engineering team in DIALOG’s Toronto studio. Since graduating with a PhD from the University of Toronto, Cameron has acted as a structural design engineer and project manager across a variety of sectors and project types, including healthcare, institutional, government, and retail. He has experience in all stages of a project delivery, from feasibility studies through construction administration and management. Cameron is DIALOG’s project manager for the hybrid timber floor system (HTFS) research program, working closely with industry partners EllisDon. He is passionate about exploring mass timber wherever possible as a sustainable solution to our building needs.
Aspen Art Museum: Creating an Innovative Wood Structure
Course Overview The Aspen Art Museum, designed by architect Shigeru Ban, includes a long-span three-dimensional wood space-frame roof. Ban’s charge was to create a wood space frame with spans of more than 50 feet and cantilevers of 14 feet, in a structural depth of 3 feet. The space frame was to have two planes of intersecting diagonal webs of curved members that undulated up and down to touch the planes of the top and bottom chords with no visible connectors. This case study presentation will describe the design and construction of the wood structure, including paths explored but not chosen for the final design. Learning Objectives Articulate the particular demands associated with creating a 3-dimensional space frame entirely in wood. Recognize the advantages and disadvantages of several wood connection strategies in space-frame structures. Be aware of manufacturing capabilities and limitations that influenced the design of the Aspen Art Museum roof structure. Understand the importance of early engagement of manufacturing and engineering partners in the design process for innovative wood structures. Course Video Speaker Bio Gregory R. Kingsley, PhD, PE President and CEO KL&A Inc. Gregory is the president and CEO of KL&A Inc., Structural Engineers and Builders in Golden, Colorado, a firm of 65 that includes structural engineers, steel detailers, and construction managers. He enjoys working with design architects on innovative structures, especially wood and steel.
