Diversify Your Structural Portfolio: Wood in Low-Rise Commercial Construction
Course Overview
This course will explore the use cases for incorporating more wood into a sector that is typically dominated by structural steel construction. We will look at Light Wood Framing (LWF), Structural Composite Lumber (SCL), Mass Timber (MT), and Hybrid Systems that may incorporate any or all of these materials, as well as structural steel. What is important is using the right material in the right application. Several examples from the CWC Publication “Low-Rise Commercial Construction in Wood: A guide for Architects and Engineers”, as well as real project examples from the presenter.
Learning Objectives
Identify strengths and weaknesses of various wood products.
Learn to select the right wood material/system for the most efficient and cost effective structure.
Highlight critical details and identify potential red flags to ensure a successful project.
Provide useful examples, resources and tools for the practitioner to add to their “tool belt”.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Alex Nowakowksi Engineer, Senior Associate, and Barrie Team Lead Tacoma Engineers
Alex is a Professional Engineer, Senior Associate, and Barrie Team Lead for Tacoma Engineers. Alex has been with Tacoma Engineers since 2012. As a Senior Structural Engineer and Project Manager, Alex has been the Primary Structural Engineer and Specialty Structural Engineer on a wide variety of wood projects in the Commercial, Institutional, Multi-Family, Agricultural and Residential Sectors.
Design Guide for Timber Concrete Composite Floors
Course Overview
As part of its work related to wooden buildings, FPInnovations recently published a comprehensive technical Guide for designing timber-concrete composite floors in Canada. This construction technique could be an economically profitable solution for longer-span floors since the mechanical properties of the two materials act in complementarity. The presentation overview of the recently published guide, which contains numerous illustrations and formulas to help the user in the design of his project. The connection systems, the ultimate and service limit states, the vibratory performance of the floor and the fire resistance is presented.
Learning Objectives
Discovering the recently published timber-concrete design guide for timber-concrete composite (TCC) floor in Canada.
Leaning the different types of connection systems for TCC floor.
How to design for serviceability and ultimate limit states.
Learning the fundamental theory of TCC floor.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Samuel Cuerrier Auclair, P.Eng., M.Sc. Scientist, Building Systems Group FPInnovations
Samuel Cuerrier Auclair completed his master thesis in 2016 at Laval University where the subject was to optimise the ductility of timber-concrete composite beams. He started to work at FPInnovations in 2015 as a scientist in building system group. He participated on the research project of several subjects as timber-concrete composite floor, the structural performance of mass-timber shear wall, the vibration performance of mass-timber floor, the acoustic performance of building and more recently on wind-vibration of tall timber building.
CLT classrooms: A pilot project in Washington State
Course Overview
A pilot project in Washington State tests the use of CLT to design and construct three modular classroom buildings in Western Washington. Funded by the Washington State Legislature, the project investigated the viability of CLT as a means to build quality K‐3 classrooms to accommodate increased population and new WA State education laws. By using CLT, the project team designed a building that could be deployed on almost any existing school site and be built over a summer break without impacting ongoing operations. Compared to traditional portable classrooms, the CLT classroom buildings are longer lasting, more functional, and aesthetically superior.
Learning Objectives
Building a broad‐based CLT coalition and the unified strategies for securing legislative state support and funding ($5.5 mil USD).
Architectural design and detailing strategies used to create an innovative learning environment by using CLT.
Project scheduling, costing, construction and lessons learned through building the modern classrooms at these three schools.
Utilizing a design‐build delivery method.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Joe Mayo, AIA LEED AP Architect Mahlum Architects
Joseph Mayo is an architect in Seattle at Mahlum and author of Solid Wood: Mass Timber Architecture, Technology and Design, the first book devoted solely to mass timber commercial buildings.
He recently completed three CLT classroom buildings in Washington State, is currently designing modular CLT townhomes and is working with a broad coalition to allow taller mass timber buildings in Washington State.
Benefits of Building with Mass Timber
Course Overview
Building with mass-timber elements affords a contractor many benefits including quality, accuracy and time. But contractors are often unaware of these benefits until immersed in a new project. With the conversion experience had by Willmott Dixon the company advanced its skills has served to inform their clients and the designers with whom they work.
Learning Objectives
How a large construction company – transitioned to include mass timber projects in its portfolio.
How to evaluate key business considerations — cost, time, environment.
How building with mass timber can change the construction planning process — engaging with design teams and clients.
How mass-timber projects came to fruition.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Duncan Purvis
With nearly a quarter of a century of experience in the construction industry in operational, commercial, sales, bid writing, marketing and most aspects of the delivery of complex construction projects and offers a 100% customer journey that is built on true trust. With many construction projects from Four Seasons Miami, Natural History Museum London, Pfizer’s European headquarters and many more high-prestige projects. Duncan is proudest of the Multiple Schools projects, that with his Structured Timber Solution, are providing high quality teaching environments that are not only fully sustainable and highly efficient, but also work out as some of the most economical teaching spaces available in Europe.
Architectural Assemblies Simplified: Understanding Structural Grids – Acoustics – and Envelopes in Wood Buildings
Course Overview
This session will help you to formulate effective floor and wall assemblies when designing wood structures, both light wood frame and mass timber. Discussion will cover typical fire ratings and strategies, acoustic performance of different assemblies and effective strategies for weather-tight exterior envelopes. Background on typical structural assemblies for different grid sizes will help you understand how to effectively develop complete assemblies when designing timber buildings.
Learning Objectives
Participants will understand how to formulate effective floor and wall assemblies for wood structures, including both light wood frame and mass timber, to optimize performance and design efficiency.
Participants will understand typical fire ratings and the acoustic performance of various assemblies and gain strategies to enhance the safety and comfort of wood buildings.
Participants will learn how to design weather-tight, high-performance exterior envelopes for wood buildings.
Participants will discover typical structural assemblies for different grid sizes and learn how to effectively develop complete assemblies when designing timber buildings.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Michael Wilkinson Principal and Senior Building Science Engineer RDH
Michael Wilkinson is a Principal and Senior Building Science Engineer at RDH. He has provided consulting services across a range of building typologies with a focus on high performance and innovative building projects including those that are Passive House, mass timber, and volumetric modular. Michael has also been involved in numerous research projects including product development and performance monitoring and is the lead author of several guideline documents for government agencies and building enclosure product manufacturers. Additionally, Michael is a part-time instructor at the BC Institute of Technology where he teaches building science and construction technology classes.
Derek Ratzlaff, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., PE Technical Director, WoodWorks BC Canadian Wood Council
Derek began his career in the wood industry in high school working on single and multi-family light wood 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, the Richmond Olympic Oval and Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre. He brings his experience in design and construction to support the industry as the Woodworks BC Technical Director.
Advancing North American Mass Timber Projects: Harnessing the Strength of Local Expertise
Course Overview
As global adoption of mass timber construction accelerates, a growing number of solutions are available in the marketplace that can contribute to the success of your project. This session, presented by Simpson Strong-Tie, will explore some of the unique challenges faced by North American projects and some of the domestically developed solutions available to meet those challenges.
Learning Objectives
Understand the need for greater tolerance on concealed beam hangers, the importance of ensuring connectors are easy to install, and the specific requirements for large elements in North American buildings.
Understand the advantages domestic suppliers can bring to your project, including the rapid delivery of hardware to job sites.
Learn about the necessity for effective installation tools and processes tailored to the scale of large North American projects.
Learn about the need for effective moisture mitigation and the systems and strategies that can prevent unnecessary exposure of mass timber to the elements during construction.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Adrian Mitchell Chair of Simpson’s internal Mass Timber Focus Market Committee Simpson Strong-Tie
Adrian is a mass timber and off-site business specialist with a principal focus on the rapidly expanding mass timber segment, for which he serves as Chair of Simpson’s internal Mass Timber Focus Market Committee. Adrian has spent the bulk of his 20-year career in the off-site, mass timber, and modular spaces, primarily as a business development leader and private consultant. With professional experiences ranging from heavy civil, oil and gas, high-end custom homes to large-scale mass timber missed-use projects and artificial intelligence in BIM, he has a unique and well-rounded background in wood and steel applications in off-site construction. Adrian is a native of Vancouver, Canada, and a graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s School of Business, he enjoys all the typical Canadian pastimes like playing hockey, building things from wood, and mountain biking.
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.
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 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.
Delivering Mid-Rise Housing Solutions – Part 2 Mass Timber
Course Overview
WoodWorks Ontario proudly presents Delivering Mid-Rise Housing Solutions Part 2: Mass Timber.
YWKW is a supportive housing project that obtained funding from the Federal Rapid Housing Initiative in Kitchener. This project optimized mass timber design that resulted in time and cost savings during construction. We will hear from the perspective of Element 5, Edge Architects, RDH and Melloul Blamey. They will discuss how important preconstruction planning is and getting all parties involved early. Each role will discuss their roles that lead to a quick and successful project.
Learning Objectives
Understand the application and benefits of prefabricated mass timber construction in mid-rise housing developments – speed up construction processes and address housing crises.
Analyze the project management and logistical challenges involved in executing mid-rise housing projects with prefabricated materials.
Evaluate the environmental impact and sustainability benefits of using mass timber in residential construction.
Discuss the implications of using prefabricated mass timber on the regulatory and approval processes in construction projects.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Patrick Chouinard Founder and VP of Market Strategy & Corporate Communications Element5
Patrick Chouinard is the Founder and VP of Market Strategy & Corporate Communications at Element5, the newest and most technologically advanced CLT and glulam manufacturer in North America, and the only CLT producer in Ontario. Patrick’s specialty lies in his ability to orchestrate mass timber solutions together with a consortium of the industry’s best service providers with experience in mass timber. He is the driving force behind a rapidly growing company that not only manufactures mass timber components, but also provides a complete range of services to successfully execute timber construction projects on a large scale.
Patrick believes mass timber is the essential building material of the 21st century and Element5 is proud to manufacture their products from sustainably managed local sources. Patrick is a passionate advocate for construction industry transformation and believes that prefabricated mass timber construction is the key to the significant gains in construction efficiency and building performance that we need to meet our significant housing and infrastructure needs in a sustainable way that contributes to a low carbon future.
Matt Bolen is one of the founding partners of Edge Architects in Waterloo, Ontario. Edge’s portfolio encompasses a wide range of project types for a diverse client base. In addition to providing professional consulting services, the firm has been involved in several innovative research and development initiatives.
Matt’s area of expertise is multi-residential building design with a specific focus on mid-rise (the missing middle) and attainable housing models. His professional interests include modular/ prefabrication, mass timber construction, and high-performance/ energy efficient design. In addition to being a Licenced Architect with the Ontario Association of Architects, Matt is a Certified Passive House Designer and has prior experience as both an energy auditor and small building contractor.
Further to his role as a principal at Edge, Matt is a lecturer at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture for the graduate level Architectural Professional Practice course. Matt is himself a graduate of Waterloo Architecture where his master’s thesis was focused on urban revitalization of mid-sized cities using Kitchener-Waterloo as a case study city.
Jeffrey B. Shantz Partner Melloul-Blamey Construction Inc.
Jeff Shantz is a partner of the general contracting firm, Melloul-Blamey Construction based out of Waterloo, Ontario. The firm was founded in 1982 and is active in Public Bid, Design Build, Construction Management and Property Development. Jeff manages Project Development at the firm and oversees projects from concept to completion. He leads the feasibility process along with project cost, constructability and material selection for all major projects undertaken. Jeff started with the company in 1993 and quickly took charge of the Design Build operations and became a partner in 2001. He achieved CCA Gold Seal Certification in Project Management in 2006, past Chair of the Board at the Grand Valley Construction Association in Southern Ontario and past member of the General Contractor National Advisory Council at the CCA. In addition to his role at Melloul-Blamey Jeff also serves as Vice President at HIP Developments, a company created to utilize the expertise of the Construction Company and develop exciting multi-residential projects throughout southern Ontario. Utilizing the same skill set that resulted in many award winning projects at Melloul-Blamey, he has been able to guide new developments at HIP to the same high standards and project success.
Jonathan Smegal Senior Project Manager RDH Building Science Inc.
Jonathan Smegal is Based in Waterloo, and is an important part of the Building Science Laboratories team. He regularly leads laboratory research, forensic analysis of building failures, hygrothermal modeling, and field monitoring of building enclosure performance.
A trusted resource, Jonathan has managed more than a dozen full-scale field tests of wall and roof performance in various locations throughout North America. He has also been involved with numerous new construction site audits for residential and commercial construction, from the design phase through to the final walk-through. Jonathan enjoys the challenges of working on the design and investigations of buildings with unique interior conditions such as swimming pools, ice rinks, secure greenhouses, and music stores all over North America.
Canadian Wood Council Welcomes Federal Investment in Forestry Innovation and Housing Solutions
August 5, 2025 – (Ottawa, ON) The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) welcomes today’s announcement by Prime Minister Mark Carney in Kelowna, unveiling a $1.2 billion investment to support Canada’s forest sector and accelerate the use of Canadian wood in domestic construction.
The measures – including $700 million in loan guarantees and $500 million to advance innovation, workforce development, and market diversification – send a strong signal of support for sustainable construction and domestic manufacturing. CWC is encouraged to see federal action aligned with the priorities it has long championed through its technical work in codes and standards and resource program delivery.
“This announcement reinforces the critical role that wood-based solutions can play in meeting Canada’s housing and climate goals,” said Rick Jeffery, President and CEO of the Canadian Wood Council. “The focus on innovation, capacity expansion, and domestic use of wood aligns well with technical insights we’ve shared over many years through our work with government, industry, and the architects, engineers, construction professionals, and developers (AECD) community.”
CWC has worked closely with federal departments and agencies, including Natural Resources Canada, on initiatives such as the Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program, which has demonstrated the ability to de-risk early projects and help scale up Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). These approaches, such as mass timber and prefabrication, are essential to accelerating housing starts while reducing carbon emissions and supporting rural economies across Canada.
“With the Build Canada Homes plan targeting 500,000 new units annually, today’s announcement provides important tools to help scale construction innovation,” Jeffery added. “Ensuring that Canadian wood products are part of the solution is a smart investment in housing, climate action, and economic resilience.”
CWC will continue its work providing technical assistance, education, and data-driven insight to support the successful implementation of federal initiatives. The organization remains committed to working with all levels of government and industry partners to help increase the use of sustainable wood systems in construction.
What does it take to deliver better buildings? In this issue, we explore that question from a couple of different angles—primarily through a look at standout wood projects that demonstrate wood design excellence, but also through a thoughtful feature on offsite prefabrication that invites the construction industry to think critically about how we build and what it will take to build better. Through enhanced collaboration and the expanded use of technology, prefabricated construction—an approach especially well-suited to wood—is transforming the way we design and deliver buildings.
This fall, the Canadian Wood Council is proud to support Woodrise 2025, an international conference coming to Vancouver, British Columbia. As part of this event, the 5th International Congress on tall wood construction, we’ve curated nine immersive tours that offer attendees a unique opportunity to step inside some of the region’s most compelling wood projects for a firsthand look at the leadership and innovation happening here.
If you believe one of the best ways to learn about a building is to walk through it—this is your chance. The full tour lineup is available now at www.woodrise2025.com/offsite-tours. Join us to explore everything from sustainable forest management and advanced manufacturing to some of the region’s most iconic mass timber buildings – experiences that bring together the people, materials, and design approaches shaping the future of low-carbon construction in B.C. and beyond.
We hope this issue inspires you to keep exploring what’s possible with wood—whether in your own projects or out with us on tour.
Webinar: Mass Timber Industrial Buildings and Warehouses
Webinar: Exploring the Feasibility of Point-Supported Mass Timber for Tallwood Construction
There’s no reason a wood structure can’t last virtually forever – or, at least hundreds of years, far longer than we may actually need the building. With a good...
Supplementary treatment may be added wherever on-site cutting or drilling of wood is unavoidable, or where it is suspected the original protection measures may be inadequate....
Framing connectors are proprietary products and include fastener types such as; framing anchors, framing angles, joist, purling and beam hangers, truss plates, post caps...
Advancements in wood product technology and systems are driving the momentum for innovative buildings in Canada. Products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT)...
Glulam (glued-laminated timber) is an engineered structural wood product that consists of multiple individual layers of dimension lumber that are glued together under...
Solid-sawn heavy timber members are predominantly employed as the main structural elements in post and beam construction. The term ‘heavy timber’ is used to describe...
Plank decking may be used to span farther and carry greater loads than panel products such as plywood and oriented strand board (OSB). Plank decking is often used where the...
With advanced construction technologies and modern mass timber products such as glued-laminated timber, cross-laminated timber and structural composite lumber, building tall...
Tests Current research includes the World’s largest mass timber fire test – click here for updates on the test results currently being conducted https://firetests.cwc.ca/...
Studies General “The Historical Development of the Building Size Limits in the National Building Code of Canada“, by Sereca for CWC (2015) (17 Mb) Structural &...
Concerns about climate change are encouraging decarbonization of the building sector, including the use of construction materials responsible for fewer greenhouse gas (GHG)...
BUILDING CODES & STANDARDS (THE REGULATORY SYSTEM) The construction industry is regulated through building codes which are informed by: Design standards that provide...
