Mid-Rise Wood Construction in Ontario: Navigating 2024 Ontario Building Code Updates
Course Overview In late 2014, following years of research and development in advanced wood products and systems, amendments to the 2012 edition of the Ontario Building Code (OBC) came into effect permitting mid-rise wood construction for residential and office buildings up to 6 storeys. This marked a significant shift, expanding the use of light-wood frame construction beyond the previous 4-storey height limit, and opening new opportunities for cost-effective and versatile building solutions. To improve affordability and harmonize with the National Building Code, the 2012 OBC was further amended in mid 2023 to permit limited combustible cladding and combustible exits to be featured in mid-rise wood construction. These amendments, with some minor editorial changes, were also carried forward to the 2024 edition of the OBC, which came into effect on January 1, 2025. This presentation will provide an overview of the technical and regulatory changes to the OBC with respect to the design and construction of mid-rise wood buildings and explore the role of this building archetype in achieving our housing targets with affordable, high-quality, and sustainable construction. Learning Objectives Understand the intent, scope, and application of technical and regulatory changes as well as key 2024 OBC provisions for mid-rise wood construction in Ontario. Explore the advantages of 5- and 6-storey wood buildings on the housing supply efforts in Ontario through market potential, project highlights, and the role of modern methods of construction. Know how to access free design and best practice resources for mid-rise wood construction and how to access free WoodWorks project support. Course Video Speakers Bio Hailey Quiquero Senior Manager WoodWorks ON / Canadian Wood Council Hailey Quiquero is currently the Senior Manager at WoodWorks ON for the Canadian Wood Council. Prior to their current role, Hailey worked as a Product and Design Manager and Computational Design Specialist at R-Hauz, as well as in various roles at Entuitive and Carleton University. Hailey holds a Master’s Degree in Structural and Fire Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Engineering from Carleton University. Throughout their career, Hailey has been involved in research, teaching, and structural design within the engineering field. Vusal Ibrahimli Technical Specialist, Codes and Standards – Fire Canadian Wood Council Vusal Ibrahimli, M.A.Sc., E.I.T. is a Technical Specialist, Codes and Standards – Fire at the Canadian Wood Council. He supports fire-related code and standards initiatives and provides technical expertise for wood construction, including contributing to education and conference programming related to fire performance and code compliance.
Online Tools for Wood Construction – CodeCHEK, FRR & STC & EMTC Calculator
Course Overview This presentation highlights the Canadian Wood Council’s suite of free, web-based fire design tools, CodeCHEK, FRR & STC Tool, and Exposed Mass Timber Calculator. CodeCHEK enables project teams to evaluate code-compliant opportunities for wood construction by assessing key building characteristics, such as height, area, sprinkler presence and more, highlighting potential pathways for alternative solutions, and clarifying where wood elements may be permitted in buildings otherwise required to be of noncombustible construction. The FRR & STC (fire-resistance rating & sound transmission class) Tool helps designers in the determination of generic fire-resistance rating designs of lightweight wood-frame wall, floor, and roof assemblies using the Component Additive Method described in Appendix D of the NBC, which is referenced as an acceptable solution in Section 3.1 of the NBC and can be used for Part 3 and 9 buildings. In addition, the tool provides the sound transmission class (STC) value that is associated with each wall or floor assembly for which STC information is available. The Exposed Mass Timber Calculator helps users assess whether mass timber compartment exposure/encapsulation designs align with the 2025 National Building Code of Canada provisions by evaluating compartment inputs against applicable criteria and generating warnings when configurations are not code-consistent, positioning it as a practical screening and learning aid that complements (but does not replace) detailed code analysis and professional judgment. Learning Objectives Evaluate code-compliant opportunities for wood construction using the CodeCHEK tool by analyzing key building parameters (e.g., height, area, and sprinklering) and identifying potential pathways for alternative solutions. Apply the FRR & STC Tool to design compliant assemblies by determining fire-resistance ratings and sound transmission performance of lightweight wood-frame wall, floor, and roof systems using the Component Additive Method. Assess mass timber exposure and encapsulation strategies using the Exposed Mass Timber Calculator to verify alignment with 2025 National Building Code of Canada provisions and support early-stage design decision-making. Course Video Speakers Bio Noah Fetterly Technical Specialist, Codes and Standards-Fire Canadian Wood Council Noah Fetterly is a Technical Specialist, Codes and Standards – Fire at the Canadian Wood Council (CWC), where he contributes technical expertise to national code development, fire safety research, and guidance for wood and mass timber construction. He holds a background in Fire Protection Engineering Technology, having graduated from Seneca College, and began his career working with fire alarm systems inspections and testing. At CWC, Noah supports technical communications, research initiatives, and industry tools related to fire performance and encapsulated mass timber construction, helping ensure alignment with the National Building Code of Canada and related standards. He is an active contributor to technical discussions involving fire safety, mass timber design, and regulatory compliance.
Demystifying Acoustics for All Wood Buildings
Course Overview This presentation defines Acoustic building code requirements and discusses important acoustic principles in mass timber construction. Learning Objectives Acoustic complaints & Law Suits. Customer negative perception of your building (ex; wood frame vs concrete). Code regulations (ex; need to reduce weight, acoustic requirements, etc.). Abundance of possibilities and unclear information. Course Video Speaker Bio André Rioux Co-Owner/Business Development AcoustiTECH André has been working alongside building professionals for more than 15 years and is recognized for his passion for the field of acoustics and his expert knowledge. Promoting wood construction across Canada and the US has been a great focus of his, participating in various organizations, giving conferences and joining innovation projects. André’s experience with wood construction combined with over 20 years of research and development from AcoustiTECH has resulted in a group being able to bring invaluable expertise and knowhow.
Delivering Mid-Rise Housing Solutions – Part 1 Light Wood Frame
Course Overview We are excited to be joined by Ashley Hammerbacher and Seungyeon Hong from s2e Technologies Development Inc a team constructing the 4 storey Eve Park in London Ontario. Eve Park is an innovative net zero community with Phase 1 underway. With the unique building shape, it shows that there are no limits with what offsite prefabrication can’t do. Learning Objectives Understand the innovative use of prefabricated light wood construction in creating sustainable residential developments – design choices, construction techniques, and sustainability goals. Analyze the design and logistical challenges in implementing prefabricated construction systems, including coordination between various stakeholders. Evaluate the benefits of modular construction in achieving sustainability goals, such as Net Zero Energy standards. Discuss the role of innovative parking solutions and community design in enhancing the sustainability and livability of residential developments. Course Video Speaker Bio Ashley Hammerbacher Managing Director S2E Technologies Ashley is a Managing Director for the US division of S2E Technologies and is the EVE Park Project Lead. She is currently living and breathing everything EVE Park. Ashley is coordinating and advising on EVE Park where we are reimagining neighbourhoods for green energy along with the future of aut-on-omous vehicles. Ashley holds a Bachelors in Bioengineering and a Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and has accumulated a breadth of experience in green technology and intelligent mobility. Seungyeon Hong Modelling and Data Specialist S2E Technologies Seung is a Modelling and Data Specialist at S2E Technologies. His role includes providing technical analysis on all matters related to buildings. This includes developing physics-based computer simulations to study a building’s behaviour and estimate the associated energy use, which helps guide design decisions and achieve net-zero energy design. Seung had earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil Engineering at Carleton University, apprenticed as a timber-framer in South Korea, worked as structural inspector, wrote a thesis on BIM-BEM interworking, and co-led a team of graduate students to win a national Hackathon.
