Awarding Excellence in Wood Architecture and Design
The Wood Design & Building magazine is pleased to announce the award recipients for the prestigious 2017 Wood Design Awards program. Read the press release.
Canadian Wood Products Industry Supportive of Climate Change Considerations as part of Long-Term Infrastructure Plan for Ontario
The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) applauds yesterday’s announcement by the Ministry of Infrastructure regarding a long-term infrastructure plan, focused on building Ontario up, that includes climate change considerations. This announcement aligns with the forest product sector’s ’30 by 30’ climate challenge – a commitment from the sector to help Canada remove 30 megatonnes (MT) of CO2 by the year 2030. The climate challenge, launched last year, symbolizes the Canadian wood products sector’s ongoing contribution and commitment to a low carbon economy and a sustainable future. Read the press release.
FPAC and the CWC Applaud the New WOODRISE Alliance
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) applaud the announcement of WOODRISE Alliance, a new international body dedicated to the development and promotion of tall wood buildings. Read the full statement.
2017 Catherine Lalonde Memorial for Wood Related Research
The Catherine Lalonde Memorial Award is presented to graduate students who demonstrate excellence in their studies of structural wood or wood design. The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) invites submissions from graduate students in engineering, architecture, wood science and forestry. The projects submitted must demonstrate the direct benefit of structural products manufactured by the Canadian forest products industry.
CWC will be granting two scholarships to graduate students whose wood research transcends the same level of passion that Catherine Lalonde championed relentlessly for the wood/wood products industry as a professional engineer and president of the CWC.
Catherine, a professional engineer, was a passionate representative of our industry who relentlessly championed the use of wood in residential and commercial construction. She was president of the CWC from 2000 to 2003, when sadly she lost her battle with cancer. This award was created to honour Catherine’s memory and to perpetuate the legacy she left to the Canadian forest products industry through her 10 years of work at CWC.
Article by leSoleil – Origine Tower: When wood withstands a trial by fire
After being attacked by flames for two hours, steel girders soften and stretch like gum. Concrete reinforcements, burst and break. When subjected to the same test, the solid wood panels used to build the structure of the Origine tower in the eco-district of Pointe-aux-Lièvres (Québec) withstood the blaze for four hours. Read the article.
reThink Wood Launches Research Library
Sharing knowledge, Fueling Innovation
reThink Wood values and endorses research that pushes boundaries and helps shift perceptions about building with wood. From stress test results and material comparisons to product advancements and the latest innovations, you’ll find everything you need to choose wood with confidence. Visit the site today.
Fire Fighting in Canada Article – Timber Tower
Article by Len Garis and Karin Mark.
When assistant deputy fire chief Ray Bryant heard about construction of the tallest wood building in the world in Vancouver, his reaction was predictable. “I thought it was an insane idea,” Bryant said. But once Bryant learned about the compartment-style construction of the student residence at the University of British Columbia, his opinion changed. “I couldn’t believe how safe it is,” he said. Read the article.
Mid-Rise Cost Comparison for Wood, Steel and Concrete
This is the first case study of its kind that analyzes four different building types of equal structural and architectural design and identifies the cost discrepancies associated with each one.
City of Saint John the First Municipality in Atlantic Canada to Adopt Wood Mid-Rise Construction
The Canadian Wood Council (CWC), along with Atlantic Wood WORKS!, congratulates the City of Saint John on its decision to adopt the 2015 National Building Code provisions to allow wood mid-rise (5- and 6-storey) construction. Joining the list of other jurisdictions such as Québec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, Saint John is the first Atlantic Canada city to make the decision to provide builders with a new construction choice for taller mid-rise buildings that should also increase affordability. Read the press release.
Reaching New Heights – Brock Commons Tallwood House
Feature article – Canadian Architect
Author – Bruce Haden, MRAIC, Vancouver-based architect and urban designer
The world’s tallest contemporary mass timber building is nearing completion in Vancouver, presenting a pragmatic argument for how mass wood can be used for all types of buildings, from the audacious to the everyday. The new Brock Commons student residence at the University of British Columbia will be the tallest contemporary mass timber building in the world when finished this May. The term “mass timber” or “mass wood” covers an array of approaches, usually referring to a structural system combining engineered wood columns and floor slabs. In Canada, the most commonly referenced technical innovation, and one of the ones behind Brock Commons’ structure, is the cross-laminated timber (CLT) slab, available in a variety of thicknesses for different span requirements. Read the article.
