Design and Construction of Permanent Wood Foundations – The Buildings Show 2025
Course Overview This session will provide requirements and 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’. Further information on site selection, backfilling, PWF floor systems, air and vapour barriers, insulation techniques, crawl spaces and design requirements for high wind and seismic zones will be discussed. This session will provide attendees with an overview of the design requirements and construction methods for PWF, with a focus on the structural system and building science considerations. Learning Objectives Apply the design requirements of CSA S406-16 for permanent wood foundations in housing and small buildings. Identify key building-science considerations for PWF systems, including drainage, air and vapour control, insulation, and crawl space design. Evaluate site and structural requirements for permanent wood foundations in high wind and seismic regions. Course Video Speakers Bio Adam Robertson Co-founder and Principal Sustainatree Adam completed his Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto and also holds a Master of Applied Science degree from the Department of Wood Science at the University of British Columbia. He is the past Chair of the CSA Subcommittee on Permanent Wood Foundations and acted as a primary author and editor during the update and revisions to the Canadian Wood Council’s Permanent Wood Foundations publication. He is the co-founder and principal of Sustainatree Consulting, a small firm specializing in sustainability and engineering design of wood building systems. Prior to opening his own practice, Adam was previously employed by the Canadian Wood Council and has also worked as a consulting structural engineer and within the building development and construction management fields.
Offsite Construction Handbook
Course Overview Offsite construction is transforming the building industry by shifting key processes from traditional sites to controlled factory environments. This approach enhances productivity, quality, and sustainability, addressing challenges like labor shortages and environmental impact. The delivery process emphasizes early collaboration, integrated design, and robust project management to optimize efficiency and risk management. Durability and energy efficiency are achieved through advanced material selection, moisture management, and airtight, highly insulated assemblies. Construction logistics, quality control, and commissioning are tailored for offsite methods, ensuring rapid, reliable project delivery. Life cycle analysis shows offsite construction can reduce embodied carbon and waste, supporting climate goals. Canada’s evolving policies and market trends position offsite construction as a key solution for affordable, sustainable housing. Learning Objectives Understand how offsite construction improves the durability, moisture control, and energy performance of wood building systems. Identify the structural and sustainability benefits of early design integration in offsite wood construction projects. Evaluate the role of life-cycle analysis and embodied carbon in positioning offsite wood construction as a solution for sustainable and affordable housing in Canada. Course Video Speakers Bio Dorian Tung Manager, Technology Assessment FPInnovations Dorian Tung is currently the Manager of Technology Assessment at FPInnovations. Prior to this, he worked as a structural consultant in Canada and the US. As a manager, he has been working with scientists on projects related to structure, seismic, durability, energy, fire, acoustic, and vibration. With the evolving ecosystem, Dorian is active in many working groups to facilitate discussions, remove duplicates, accelerate processes, with the goal to maximize impacts for the forest industry NOW using research data. He is also the editor of the Offsite Wood Construction Handbook published by FPInnovations. Helen Goodland Principal. Head of Research and Innovation SCIUS Advisory Helen Goodland is an architect registered in the UK and has an MBA from the University of BC. Helen is firmly committed to achieving truly sustainable buildings within the next decade. She is also passionate about advancing leadership opportunities for women in construction technology. To this end, she participates on numerous boards and committees. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors of Building Transformations (formerly CanBIM), the BC Digital Advisory Council, the BCIT Mass Timber Education Advisory Board and the University of Victoria’s Green Civil Engineering Advisory Council. She is also past chair of the UN Sustainable Buildings Initiative’s Materials Technical Committee. Adam Robertson Co-founder and Principal Sustainatree Adam completed his Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto and also holds a Master of Applied Science degree from the Department of Wood Science at the University of British Columbia. He is the past Chair of the CSA Subcommittee on Permanent Wood Foundations and acted as a primary author and editor during the update and revisions to the Canadian Wood Council’s Permanent Wood Foundations publication. He is the co-founder and principal of Sustainatree Consulting, a small firm specializing in sustainability and engineering design of wood building systems. Prior to opening his own practice, Adam was previously employed by the Canadian Wood Council and has also worked as a consulting structural engineer and within the building development and construction management fields.
Offsite Construction in Ontario: A Practical and Diligent Path Forward
Course Overview From the housing supply deficit to affordability issues and labour challenges, several conditions have been supporting a renewed interest for innovation in construction practices. Offsite construction is often identified as a promising approach to improve the way we build. This session explores the current market characteristics which are conducive to offsite practices, including the consistent shift towards multifamily construction in Ontario. It also identifies the numerous potential benefits of shifting the construction process from site to factory. The speakers will discuss underlying assumptions and conditions and questions such as: Are the promised benefits tangible and quantifiable? Do savings actually reach a project’s bottom line? Do all of the benefits apply to specific applications? Learning Objectives Identify market, labour, and housing conditions in Ontario that are driving interest in offsite and wood-based construction systems. Evaluate the practical benefits and limitations of offsite construction using mass timber and panelized wood systems. Assess when offsite construction provides measurable value at the project level, including cost, schedule, quality, and risk considerations. Course Video Speakers Bio Mike Schmidt President Auto Construct Incorporated A Tool & Die Maker with a Masters’ Degree in Business Administration, Mike understands manufacturing from the ground up. He spent his formative years as an executive in the automotive industry; working for world-class, multinational corporations such as Magna International and ArcelorMittal. In 2017, Mike established Auto Construct Incorporated (ACI), a management consulting firm, to accelerate the industrialization of residential construction. Specializing in the conversion from stick-built to offsite construction, Mike has led and facilitated the growth of several companies to become dominant players in their respective fields. ACI provides education, guidance, and implementation support in the areas of business development, manufacturing systems, technology selection, and factory start-ups. ACI serves a broad range of land developers, construction firms, homebuilders, and manufacturing companies throughout Canada and the United States.
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.
Application of Cross-Laminated Timber in High‐end Custom Homes and Mixed‐use Residential Buildings
Course Overview Follow our journey of introducing CLT into high end‐custom homes and mixed‐use residential projects in the Greater Vancouver Area. We’ll explore the differences between light wood‐frame and CLT construction from the design and detailing phase right through to the end of construction. You’ll learn how the coordination, supply, and installation processes differ from conventional light wood‐frame projects and how our two examples were received by the design and construction teams. Learning Objectives Design and detailing considerations. Coordination process with design team. Supply consideration. Response of the industry. Course Video Speaker Bio Mehrdad Jahangiri, P.Eng., Dipl. Ing. (Germany) Founding Principal ASPECT Structural Engineers Mehrdad has over 25 years of international experience on notable, architecturally‐oriented projects. His experience enables him to integrate European codes and practices with the North American market, creating new ways for architects and owners to reach their project aspirations. Mehrdad understands the challenge to create carefully detailed, yet efficient structural designs and provides exceptional service to achieve them. Allison DenToom, P.Eng., P.E, LEED Green Associate ASPECT Structural Engineers Allison’s expertise is with the design of high‐end single‐family residences and multifamily residential buildings. From cozy cabins to 30,000+ sf estates, she is well‐versed in projects of all shapes, sizes, and materials. She is passionate about architecturally expressive structures and prides herself on providing the high level of attention that is required to create the finished project.
A Business Case for Tall Wood
Course Overview This session will present a vision and business case for innovation, sustainability, and affordability for the tallest residential wood tower in the world (proposed in Nova Scotia). Addressing rapid delivery to meet urgent residential needs supported by Bird Construction costing and scheduling. Learning Objectives Understand the business case for developing tall residential mass timber buildings, including how sustainability, affordability, and rapid delivery needs are addressed through advanced structural design and innovative project phasing strategies. Identify the key costing, scheduling, and manufacturing considerations that influence the feasibility of tall wood construction, including lessons learned from previous mass timber projects and the role of integrated project teams in mitigating bottlenecks. Evaluate how mass timber products such as glulam and CLT can support high‑rise residential development, including insights into supply‑chain innovation, local manufacturing capacity, and the broader economic and environmental impacts of tall wood construction in Atlantic Canada. Course Video Speaker Bio Patrick Crabbe Director of Mass Timber Bird Construction Patrick Crabbe is the Director of Mass Timber at Bird Construction – Bird is a publicly traded, commercial and industrial conglomerate, recognized as a top 5 General Contractor (GC) in Canada. Patrick is also the leader of a Mass Timber Manufacturing start-up, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. MTC is a sawmill integrated, glulam focused entity, that is currently executing a $2.3M feasibility effort to code approve proprietary high performing mass timber products (made from undervalued-commodity maritime spruce, pine and fir) that will expand the needed capacity of North American mass timber products and positively impact sustainable forestry practises. Patrick’s professional career has been dedicated to developing markets for high-value structural wood products and working with industry to facilitate the. Through this experience, Patrick has a comprehensive understanding of construction contract methods supply chain solutions to set-up large, complex, mass timber build programs for success. Patrick is an active member of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (led by the World Bank) and a trusted advisor to Infrastructure British Columbia and the Canadian Wood Council. Joe Nickerson Vice President & Partner Sidewalk Real Estate Development Joe Nickerson is a leader with a proven history of success managing a variety of real estate portfolios for high-net-worth families in Toronto, Alberta, and British Columbia. Joe has worked at RBC Capital Markets and for both private and public real estate holding companies ranging from $100M to $11B in AUM. Joe holds an MBA with a specialization in Real Estate & Infrastructure from Schulich School of Business and studied Private Equity & Finance at SDA Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.
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.
