TORONTO — Bespoke Metrics announced the finalization of its Mass Timber Project Scoring Methodology, following the close of a public comment period. Bespoke Metrics was engaged by the Climate Smart Buildings Alliance and the Canadian Wood Council, through the Mass Timber Insurance Action Plan, to develop this methodology as part of broader efforts to enhance transparency, comparability, and insurability in the use of sustainable construction materials. By standardizing how mass timber experience and risk management practices are evaluated, the framework supports more informed decision-making among owners, insurers, and lenders. …Mass timber presents significant opportunities as a lower-carbon building material, but it also introduces unique risk factors–including combustibility considerations, moisture sensitivity, supply chain constraints, and a more limited pool of experienced subcontractors and suppliers. The finalized methodology is designed to ensure these factors are consistently and transparently reflected in contractor risk assessments. …The final methodology is available here.
As mass timber construction continues to build momentum, critical lessons learned on jobsites are emerging to ensure successful project outcomes. The aesthetics and many benefits of mass timber are well known, but bringing these projects to life involves significant technical and logistical challenges. Common issues that need careful consideration include moisture management, lack of experience, site logistics, safety and more. “The single most important time in any mass timber project – and where most mistakes are made – is early involvement,” said Scott Comfort, president of Seagate Mass Timber who was a speaker at Buildex Vancouver. “You can never talk about mass timber too early in your project. Always have an engineer lifting and bracing plan in place – absolutely critical for the safety of the job and for it to do well.” …To help the industry with moisture management, best practices are being explored by the Canadian Wood Council and FPInnovations.
Leveraging locally made forest products supports local jobs, efficient builds, and community resilience. …Forestry is more than just an industry; it is the lifeblood of some 300 Canadian communities. In the face of trade and market headwinds, some forest-dependent communities across the country are experiencing a worrying trend: the hollowing out of their economic base. Recent trade and market impacts on forestry have reduced production or closed mills, eliminated jobs, and reduced municipal revenues. With new challenges bring new opportunity – to take action on what we control. To streamline regulations to make our industries more competitive, diversify export markets, and do more here at home with Canadian grown and made products. Municipalities across the country can be part of the solution to help improve prospects for the forestry sector and its employees. Municipalities have the power to choose Canadian wood and wood fibre-based products in local projects.
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VANCOUVER — UBC’s newest building, Gateway Health, is opening as a hub for student health, interdisciplinary teaching and collaborative research. The 270,550-square-foot building gives a purpose-built home to the school of nursing, consolidates kinesiology programs from eight campus locations, and centralizes student health and wellbeing services for the first time. …
PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto) earned a pair of awards at the Toronto Construction Association’s (TCA) Best of the Best Awards. Presented at the TCA’s 158th Annual General Meeting, PCL was awarded Project Achievement Awards for the Kingsway College Senior School Phase 2 renovation and George Brown Polytechnic’s Limberlost Place. Creating a new era for George Brown Polytechnic students and faculty, Limberlost Place exemplifies what’s possible through collaboration, out-of-the-box thinking and a shared commitment to building a resilient future. The 10-storey mass timber, net-zero educational facility integrates first-of-its-kind solutions including the cross-laminated timber (CLT) slab band structural system and North America’s largest mass timber columns spanning three storeys. Early engagement from the entire team during the preconstruction phase was crucial to design development and determining constructability.
A cross-sector group of packaging producers, farmers, restaurants and grocers has filed a class action lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of SB 343, California’s controversial recycling labeling law. The coalition argues the legislation imposes unconstitutional restrictions on free speech, ultimately working against recycling participation programs by making it harder for consumers to understand what can and cannot go in the bin. At the heart of the complaint is SB 343’s prohibition on the use of widely recognized recycling symbols and claims, even when those claims are factually accurate, according to the suit. Under the law, producers cannot label packaging as recyclable unless it meets state-defined, “rigid” criteria that allegedly fails to reflect how recycling actually works. …“SB 343 establishes labeling standards that could discourage innovation and limit the ability to provide accurate recycling information to consumers,” the American Forest and Paper Association stated.
COLORADO — The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously voted to table its decision on adopting eight new building-related codes. Those are the 2024 editions of international codes, including the residential code, building code, energy and conservation code, mechanical code, fuel and gas code, existing building code, property maintenance code, and the swimming pool and spa code. During the meeting, the BoCC also considered, and unanimously approved, Resolution 2026-27, adopting the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC), along with amendments to snow load requirements for manufactured structures. …Commissioner John Ranson described them as an “unfunded mandate,” adding, “there’s no two-ways about it.” He mentioned that in conversations with local builders, many are preparing for these codes to make construction costs go up.
OLYMPIA, WA — A new Washington state law aimed at expanding affordable housing options will make it easier to build small “kit homes” and backyard units across the state. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5552 into law, following four years of work by Sen. Jeff Wilson. The measure directs the Washington State Building Code Council to develop rules specifically for kit homes under 800 square feet. Supporters say the legislation is intended to help address Washington’s housing shortage by reducing costs and simplifying the construction process for smaller homes. Wilson said standardized kit-home designs could allow plans to be approved once at the state level rather than requiring separate design reviews for each project. Kit homes typically include precut lumber delivered as a package that can be assembled on site. Modern versions often use prefabricated wall and roof panels to speed construction, and start at less than $10,000.
MESA COUNTY, Colorado. – Mesa County commissioners have passed a wildfire resiliency code that will affect the construction of new houses and projects on current structures, including re-roofing. The code, required by state legislation, applies only to buildings in the Wildland Urban Interface — a designated area marking locations close to potential wildfires. It mandates that projects in those areas use more fire-resistant materials and regulates where new structures can be built. “It’s not going to keep houses from burning down…,” Davis said. “What it’s designed to do is to keep it from burning as quick and as violently so that people can get out and get to safety.” Davis said the new code could make building in affected areas slower and more expensive. “To make things fire resistant, it costs money. The cheapest siding out there is wood-based and more affordable, but it’s also going to be more flammable,” Davis said.
The mass timber supply chain has spent more than a decade proving the product works. …Now, research produced by Michigan State University argues that none of it matters much if the system surrounding the product isn’t built to match. Led by George Berghorn, Modular Mass Timber for Housing Construction, research published in the 
Since International Paper closed its mills in Liberty and Chatham counties last fall, business owners in Southeast Georgia who once made the state the largest timber exporter in the nation have been feeling acute pain. As of January, demand for timber had dropped more than 60%. …The cost of pulpwood, meanwhile, had plummeted. …Gov. Brian Kemp has carved $14 million for the timber industry in his draft budget, based on recommendations from a 
The wood industry produces enormous quantities of lignocellulosic by-products, such as sawdust, and their incineration for energy recovery results in substantial carbon emissions and the loss of valuable raw materials. Here, we introduce struvite as a fully recyclable inorganic binder for the consolidation of sawdust into high-performance hybrid materials. The mineral binder is produced in situ by an enzymatically induced solution-mediated phase transformation driven by ureolytic protein bodies extracted from watermelon seeds. The resulting material exhibits excellent fire resistance with a long time to ignition (51 ± 1 s), low peak heat release (118 ± 2 kW m−2), and fast flame self-extinction due to efficient char-layer formation. Moreover, it displays high compressive strength (4.71 ± 0.37 MPa). Crucially for sustainability, the struvite binder can be recovered under mild aqueous conditions without loss of performance, offering a valid path toward a circular materials economy.
The Brussels-based Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) has released a statement indicating the forests and “state-of-the-art recycling system” of Europe stand ready to serve European Union policies supporting “Made in Europe” objectives. “A ‘Made in EU’ competitiveness model should be anchored in sustainably sourced biomass, high quality recycled materials and European technological leadership across these sectors,” states CEPI. The forest products and paper sectors can help Europe “build a more resilient, future proof growth model,” continues the group, that can be less reliant on coal, gas and other fossil fuels. Among resources the continent has in abundance, according to CEPI, are “sustainably managed forests, efficient recycling systems and the industrial know how that powers them. This pragmatic approach aligns industrial policy with Europe’s bio-based, circular strengths and advances some of the Clean Industrial Deal’s (CID’s) original ambitions.”
HELSINKI, Finland — A groundbreaking investigation by researchers at the University of Helsinki is shedding new light on the relationship between wood surface treatments and bacterial survival, revealing profound implications for both public health and material science. The study meticulously analyzed how untreated and chemically treated wood surfaces influence the adhesion, survival, and transmission of bacterial species commonly found in indoor environments. This research challenges conventional perspectives on surface hygiene and opens avenues for reconsidering material use in everyday settings ranging from homes to healthcare environments. The research primarily focused on two bacterial species: Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. …By studying these organisms, the research team was able to capture a spectrum of bacterial behaviors and survival strategies on different wood substrates. …Although the study’s scope was limited, its findings offer valuable preliminary insights into the wider implications of material selection in construction and interior design.
HCM CITY — Canadian Wood Vietnam, part of Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) – a provincial agency of the Government of British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, has recently reaffirmed its commitment to the Vietnamese wood industry by maintaining a consistent presence across key industry platforms. Canadian Wood Vietnam is dedicated to enhancing networking activities, sharing information, and fostering professional exchanges within Việt Nam’s wood and furniture industry. In addition to promoting trade, Canadian Wood Vietnam works closely with manufacturers in Việt Nam by offering technical support, training programmes, and facilitating market development initiatives that link businesses with reputable Canadian softwood suppliers and provide valuable insights into softwood species from British Columbia (B.C.), Canada. These ongoing efforts aim to assist Vietnamese manufacturers in strengthening their product development capabilities, refining design applications, and enhancing value creation. 