Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Exhibit floor at Mass Timber+ 2026 is almost sold out!

Mass Timber+
June 19, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

Mass Timber+ is bringing together top architects, engineers, contractors, owners, developers, and manufacturers from the integrated offsite construction industry for the purpose of creating a beneficial platform for education, innovation, networking, and policy discussions. This is your chance to put your company in front of North America’s most influential architects, developers, contractors, as well as mass timber producers, driving the future of modular and mass timber construction.

Why exhibit: Two days standing directly in front of architects, engineers, developers and contractors — as well as the producers and innovators defining where the industry goes next.

Mass Timber+ 2026 is on the East Coast – and so is the action! The East Coast is booming! Woodworks says 51% of current projects in design are on the East Coast, compared to just 22% on the West Coast. We have 60+ exhibitors and innovators: click here to see who’s already signed up. Email us today at lkelly@getfea.com to secure a booth before they sell out.

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The Carbon Math Most Steel Building Lifecycle Comparisons Get Wrong

Green Building Canada
June 13, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Steel keeps losing the green building conversation on a technicality. Most lifecycle comparisons published in industry media compare materials on cradle-to-gate embodied carbon and walk away. Steel comes out heavy. Wood comes out light. Concrete sits somewhere in the middle. The reader files steel away as the carbon-heavy choice and moves on. The problem with that framing is not the numbers themselves. It is what gets left out of the calculation. A building exists for decades. Materials behave differently across that span. End-of-life recycling rates vary by an order of magnitude. None of that shows up in the cradle-to-gate snapshot that gets quoted in most green building pieces. …What the analysis does argue is that the cradle-to-gate number cited in most green building media tells less than half the story. …The broader lesson is that sustainable construction decisions should be based on whole-building lifecycle assessment rather than a single embodied-carbon number. 

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Capilano University opens first student housing building with exposed mass-timber dining pavilion

By BC Ministry of Infrastructure
Government of British Columbia
June 29, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

NORTH VANCOUVER, BC — Students at Capilano University (CapU) now have access to more housing options with the opening of the first on-campus student housing building at the university’s North Vancouver campus. …The new six-storey student housing building named Treehouse reflects a shared vision of “a home in the woods. …The new student housing building provides 362 on-campus homes for students on the North Shore, helping them focus on their studies while easing pressure on the local rental housing market. The building includes a 250-seat, mass-timber dining hall connected to the student housing building will provide meal service to students living on campus, as well as faculty, staff and commuter students. The dining space will support student life and create additional opportunities for students to connect and build community on campus.

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Camosun fine furniture grads to showcase salvaged wood chairs in Saanich

By Tony Trozzo
Victoria News
June 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Sixteen Camosun College students are turning reclaimed local wood into a statement on human craftsmanship at a new chair exhibition opening June 24. The showcase, titled “Against the Grain: An Exhibition of Handcrafted Chairs,” kicks off with a free gala event from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Wednesday at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill. Running until July 19, the exhibition serves as the capstone project for students completing the 10-month Fine Furniture and Joinery Trades Foundation Certificate program at Camosun’s Interurban campus. This year’s graduating class designed their unique chairs out of reclaimed Garry Oak, Maple, and Horse Chestnut. The materials were supplied by the Vancouver Island Woodworkers’ Guild wood recovery program, which has supported the Camosun certificate program since its inception.

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Behold Vancouver’s New Earthquake-Proof Highrise

By Emily Latimer
Maclean’s Magazine
June 23, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Vancouver sits directly on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 1,000-kilometre fault line that runs from Northern California to Vancouver Island, and there’s a 37 per cent chance that the catastrophic earthquake known as the Big One will hit the region in the next 50 years. The city updated its building code in 2024, but many of Vancouver’s mid-century concrete highrises are still seismically vulnerable. Not the Hive. The new mass-timber office building in Vancouver’s False Creek Flats neighbourhood, designed by the architecture firm Dialog, has a distinctive honeycomb-style exoskeleton fitted with seismic dampers. …The team extensively tested the reimagined design to meet a strict safety standard, including full-scale seismic simulations at the University of Alberta. Researchers were especially focused on ensuring the connections between the timber beams and columns held up after an earthquake. The Hive passed with nary a tremble.

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BC Institute of Technology announces Breena Jackson as Interim Associate Dean, Industrial Construction

By Giselle LaCounte
British Columbia Institute of Technology
June 16, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Breena Jackson

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Breena Jackson as Interim Associate Dean, Industrial Construction, in the School of Construction and the Environment. Breena begins her one-year interim role on July 6, 2026. Breena brings a strong combination of teaching experience, industry expertise, and a deep connection to applied trades education at BCIT. A member of the BCIT community since 2016, she has taught in the Cabinetmaking program and supported students through hands-on learning that reflects the realities of industry. …In addition to her teaching role, Breena has contributed to BCIT’s work in sustainable construction as a Mass Timber Project Manager. …BCIT also extends its sincere thanks to David Dunn for his leadership during this transition period and for his continued support of the School of Construction and the Environment.

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BC Wood Connections Newsletter for June

The BC Wood Specialties Group
June 17, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Wood Connections Summary: BC Wood is gearing up for a busy fall season, with registration now open for the 2026 Global Buyers Mission in Whistler and a slate of market development opportunities stretching from Vancouver to Mexico. The annual GBM returns September 10–12, bringing together international buyers, architects, designers, manufacturers, distributors, and wood industry professionals for business matchmaking, networking, educational sessions, and WoodTALKS™ programming. The association has also announced the first round of GBM sponsorship winners and is encouraging companies to act quickly as exhibit space and hotel accommodations are filling fast. Beyond Whistler, BC Wood is recruiting participants for the Interior Design Show in Vancouver, Tecno Mueble in Guadalajara, and is exploring a coordinated presence at California’s Pacific Coast Builders Conference. Meanwhile, TWIG’s Wood-First-Wednesday program continues to expand its reach, with a new partnership extending networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities into the Robson and North Thompson region.

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The instant high-rise. Novel modular construction using AI and robots

By UBC Applied Science
The University of British Columbia
May 5, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

For decades, populations in North American cities have been growing faster than housing can accommodate. …Dr. Yang is the director of UBC’s Smart Structures Lab, where researchers combine advanced structural simulation and large-scale experimental testing to design building systems that are safer, more environmentally friendly, and quick to assemble. Integrating artificial intelligence, robotics, and modular assembly to automate key stages of construction—and even monitor structural health in real time—the lab has evolved into a hub for next-generation infrastructure research. It also plays a central role in an $8.27-million national initiative led by UBC Civil Engineering to address housing supply through sustainable modular construction. …Dr. Yang’s team is already applying their research in the field, testing out large-scale construction machines to automate the construction sequence. …Instead of performing repetitive or hazardous physical tasks, workers become machine operators and systems managers, while supervisors monitor multiple projects remotely. 

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Career opportunities unfold as housing construction facility opens shop in Port Alberni

By Denise Titian
Ha-Shilth-Sa
June 11, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

PORT ALBERNI, BC — Tina Gus… a member of the Tseshaht First Nation, is one of two women in the first Green Building Foundations and Manufacturing training program cohort who went on to work at IGV Housing as a Production Operator. …The program brings together IGV Housing, North Island College and Synergy Foundation to deliver a fully funded skills-building opportunity that delivers trained workers to Port Alberni’s new IGV Housing plant and other construction businesses like it. …Located at the former San Group wood manufacturing site next to the paper mill in central Port Alberni, IGV Housing is a facility where new homes are being built. “The company manufactures full-scale homes and is developing a solution for multi-family buildings up to six storeys,” said a spokesperson for IGV Housing. The company uses a systemized hybrid construction model that combines factory-built components with on-site assembly.

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The economic case for developing green buildings

By Danny Kurcharsky
Real Estate News Exchange
June 25, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Peter Howard

MONTREAL — The global transition to a net zero economy is inevitable but how Canada will take advantage of the opportunity to drive the development of green buildings remains a question mark. So says Peter Howard, founder of Zfolio. …He was the keynote speaker at the Building Lasting Change conference, hosted in Montreal by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). Howard said the transition to low carbon technology is inevitable because it is being driven by economics and irreversible trends in technology. …Howard said mass retrofits would put Canadian tradespeople to work electrifying heating and hot water and creating buildings that generate and store their own electricity. …In addition, mass timber buildings can be built, drawing on Canadian forestry products, he said. Resilient buildings and neighbourhoods can be created that resist flooding, storms and blackouts and that generate and store some of their own electricity and water supply.

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Design for Mass Timber Hospital in Canada Wins Fast Company 2026 World Changing Ideas Award

HDR Inc.
June 16, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

ONTARIO — The Quinte Health Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) in Picton, Ontario, Canada, is a winner of Fast Company’s 2026 World Changing Ideas Awards in the “general excellence” category. Upon completion in 2028, it will be the first acute care hospital in North America constructed with an unencapsulated all mass timber structure. …The new 23-inpatient-bed, 97,000-square-foot hospital represents a deeply collaborative effort between Quinte Health, Infrastructure Ontario, HDR, M. Sullivan & Son Limited, and the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation. Currently under construction, the hospital establishes a new benchmark for sustainable healthcare infrastructure. …PECMH’s timber structure, geothermal energy systems, building-integrated photovoltaics, high-performance envelopes, public gardens and green roofs position the hospital as a pioneering example of how one of the most energy-intensive building typologies can be reimagined for a lower-carbon future.

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Mass timber addition to expand Niagara College’s applied health programs amid rising enrolment

Daily Commercial News
June 11, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

©Montgomery Sisam

WELLAND, ONT. — Currently under construction in Welland, Ont., the Niagara College Applied Health Institute (AHI) Expansion aims to create a community hub that responds to rising enrolment in health care programs such as nursing, paramedicine, personal support work, dental hygiene and pharmacy. The 75,000-square-foot purpose-built mass timber addition was designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects and will feature a new entrance, pedestrian plaza, courtyard and atrium. …At the heart of the building, a feature stair rises through an open atrium to the second level. “Delivered on an accelerated schedule in response to urgent workforce needs, the mass timber expansion is pursuing Zero Carbon Building and Rick Hansen Foundation certifications,” the release adds. “An innovative design-assist partnership with timber supplier Nordic Structures also helped streamline co-ordination between design and fabrication, supporting both schedule certainty and construction efficiency.”

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Ontario sees jump in mid-rise wood construction following 2023 building code change

By Lindsay Kelly
Northern Ontario Business
June 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Three years ago, the Ontario Building Code required that any developer taking on a mid-rise wood-frame building had to construct stairwells out of non-combustible material. That was expensive. It made construction challenging, and, according to the Canadian Wood Council, resulted in a lower adoption of wood-frame building. Since that requirement was removed in 2023, allowing full buildings to be constructed with wood, interest in mid-rise wood-frame building has increased considerably, especially for residential builds, said Hailey Quiquero, with the WoodWorks Ontario program, an initiative of the Canadian Wood Council. “Now, in our market, we’re sitting at around 50% of five- and six-storey buildings being built out of wood construction, so a great jump,” Quiquero said. “We’ve still got a long way to go. In BC, I think it’s greater than 80% of this market.” …Currently in Ontario, mid-rise wood-frame building is largely being used in residential projects, Quiquero said.

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Laurentian University prof lauded for architectural research

Northern Ontario Business
June 11, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

SUDBURY, Ontario — A Laurentian University architecture professor is being recognized for his research in sustainable design. Steven Beites, an assistant professor at Laurentian’s McEwen School of Architecture, has received an award for his paper, “Technology, Ecology and the Housing Crisis.” It explores how advanced technologies, robotics, and sustainable bio-based materials can fundamentally reshape modern design and construction. Beites received the award from the College of Distinguished Professors and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture during the ACSA’s annual convention in Chicago in March. Beites’ work looks at how innovative approaches to design and construction — including using robotics and digitally fabricated systems to move production into controlled manufacturing environments — can help address housing challenges in rural and remote communities in Northern Ontario. One of his projects is the development of a cable-driven parallel robot, which could be assembled on site and used to 3D print housing components.

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The 50 best airports in America, ranked

By Hannah Sampson, Edward Russell and Andrew Van Dam
The Washington Post
June 26, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

What makes an airport special? We analyzed what passengers love most for our own definitive ranking. …Our list started with more than 450 airports that served at least 1,000 passengers last year. #1 Portland International Airport: Walk into this airport terminal and gasp. It’s practically a nature bath. Skylights built into soaring timber roofs filter sunlight onto the oak floor. Live trees and massive video walls showcase stunning landscapes. Sit for a spell on the stadium-style wood benches. Linger on the real-life view of Mount Hood from Concourse E. This space is — it’s hard to believe — relaxing.  While you’re at it, enjoy the flavors from local restaurants and shops; Tillamook fried cheese curds, anyone? [to access the full story a Washington Post subscription is required]

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Advancing Wood Projects Through Codes, Support, and Education

The Softwood Lumber Board
June 26, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

In this Monthly Update, you find these stories and more:

  • Across SLB-supported programs, the operating environment is becoming more data-driven, faster-moving, and more contested. Artificial intelligence allows the SLB and its programs to turn technical expertise and institutional knowledge into market influence more efficiently. …SLB and its programs have moved from AI awareness into active implementation. 
  • At the International Code Council’s final Public Comment Hearings in April, the AWC secured wins that directly protect and expand wood product markets. 
  • 30 architecture educators from 24 schools across 17 states came together in Auburn, Alabama, for the largest faculty development workshop the SLB has supported to date. …When faculty return to campus better prepared to teach wood, the impact reaches future professionals…
  • General contractors unfamiliar with mass timber often inflate bids to account for perceived risk… To help address this issue, the WoodWorks Construction Management team is reaching out proactively to mass timber projects at the “Waiting for Construction” stage. 

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JELD-WEN Expands Environmental Product Declarations in North America and Europe

By JELD-WEN Holding Inc.
June 23, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — JELD-WEN announced an expansion of its portfolio of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). …The expanded portfolio includes newly released, third-party verified EPDs across a broad range of product categories in both North America and Europe, including vinyl and wood windows, interior doors, exterior doorsets, and other building solutions. These disclosures provide standardized, independently verified data on environmental impacts across a product’s full life cycle—from raw material sourcing to manufacturing, use, and end-of-life considerations. …EPDs play a critical role in supporting green building certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB), offering architects, builders, and designers a trusted and comparable data source for evaluating materials and selecting lower-impact solutions. Learn more about JELD-WEN’s EPDs in North America here and across Europe here.  

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Mass Timber as a Catalyst for Biophilic, Sustainable Campus Design

By Henry Weinberg and Laura Rushfeldt
School Construction News
June 18, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Humans have an innate desire to connect with nature, yet we spend nearly 90 percent of our lives indoors. In academic settings, where students learn, live and socialize, this disconnect can have real consequences for focus, mental health and well-being. Mass timber construction offers a powerful way to bring the warmth, texture and psychological benefits of nature indoors, while also advancing sustainability goals and, in many cases, matching or outperforming traditional steel construction on cost. A growing body of research shows that biophilic design, the integration of natural elements, particularly wood, into the built environment can improve cognitive performance, creativity and mood while reducing stress and fatigue. Spaces that incorporate visible wood elements are consistently perceived as warmer and more welcoming, fostering social interaction and a stronger sense of belonging. For higher education institutions focused on student wellness and community-building, these qualities are increasingly viewed as essential. 

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Trex Announces its 2025 Sustainability Report, ‘For Today and Tomorrow’

Trex Company
June 17, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

WINCHESTER, Virginia — As Trex celebrates 30 years of innovation and impact, the company announced the release of its 2025 Sustainability Report. Trex was the first company to bring wood composite decking to the market, creating an entirely new category of circular decking. …Amy Fernandez, Chief Sustainability Officer said “Our 2025 report demonstrates how principled, ethical leadership is the foundation for our business, fostering long-term relationships based on trust.” …Highlights include: Circular Materials Leadership – Since its founding, the company has upcycled more than 6.4 billion pounds of waste plastic film. NexTrex® Recycling Network – Expanded to more than 15,300 retail locations, collecting over 353 million pounds of waste polyethylene film in 2025 through partnerships with retailers and consumers. NexTrex® Grassroots Movement – Trex makes recycling accessible to more and more communities. The program added 38 new centralized drop-off sites in 2025, recycling a record amount of waste plastic film.

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Two Congress members introduce Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act

US Congressman Glenn Thompson
May 29, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Andrea Salinas (D-OR) introduced the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act. This bipartisan legislation provides incentives for the use of mass timber building materials in federal contracting, giving timber and other forest products companies the ability to compete for construction, renovation, or acquisition of public buildings, and for military construction. The bill creates a two-tier contracting preference for mass timber and other innovative wood projects. The first-tier preference applies to mass timber that is made within the U.S. and responsibly sourced from state, federal, private, and Tribal forestlands. The optional second tier applies to mass timber products that are sourced from restoration practices, fire mitigation projects, and forest owners. Additionally, this bill contains a reporting requirement for a whole building lifecycle assessment. The results of this assessment will help provide additional evidence of the environmental benefits of the use of timber and forest products in buildings.

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Announcing the 2026 Wood in Architecture Awards

WoodWorks – Wood Products Council
June 10, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

WoodWorks has announced eight 2026 Wood in Architecture award winners, celebrating excellence and innovation in mass timber, heavy timber, light-frame, and hybrid building design. The annual award program recognizes developers and design teams using wood in innovative ways that positively impact the environment, occupants, and communities throughout the U.S. WoodWorks was founded to support innovation in modern wood design, and we’re fortunate to work alongside the teams taking on that work every day. Our award program gives us a chance to step back and celebrate what they’ve accomplished, and the projects that represent the best of what wood can achieve. This year, we were especially encouraged by the volume of submissions—an indication of expanding confidence in wood as a material of choice. Thank you to all who nominated projects, and to our volunteer jury for the time and care they brought to the process. See all the winning projects here.

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AIA Education Facility Design Award 2026

The American Institute of Architects
June 10, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

©Jason O’Rear in AIA

Explore the AIA Education Facility Design Award 2026 recipients—recognized as the best in today’s learning spaces. As education evolves, so does the architecture that supports it. The AIA Education Facility Design Award celebrates innovative projects across the learning continuum, from early childhood to higher education. These designs elevate learning environments and inspire communities.

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UC Berkeley lab turns wildfire salvage into mass timber for sustainable construction

By Dan Ashley and Tim Didion
ABC News 7
June 22, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

As wildfires become more frequent and intense across California, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley are exploring ways to turn wood from fire-affected forests into useful building materials rather than letting it go to waste. At the university’s wood lab, Assistant Professor Paul Mayencourt demonstrated a construction technique known as dowel-laminated timber, or DLT. The process combines smaller pieces of lumber into larger structural panels using wooden dowels. “So, it’s enabling us to use more diverse sources of lumber. And that includes salvage from forest fires and also salvage from demolition,” Mayencourt said. Graduate student Adam Gordon showcased a model theater designed for Portland State University that uses fabricated timber panels, sometimes referred to as mass timber. He said the materials can be adapted for both structural and design purposes. …The Berkeley wood lab has received support from several sources, including a recent innovation grant from the U.S. Forest Service.

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Skanska breaks ground on Cleveland High School modernization, a landmark mass timber project

Skanska USA Inc.
June 17, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

PORTLAND, OR – Skanska, a leading global construction and development firm, broke ground on the modernization of Cleveland High School for Portland Public Schools on June 12. The project will replace the existing school with an approximately 300,000-square-foot high school on the same site… Construction is expected to begin in July 2026 and be completed in the summer of 2029. …Designed by Mahlum Architects and Studio Petretti, the new school will incorporate nearly 870,000 board feet of Pacific Northwest-sourced mass timber, making it one of the largest K-12 mass timber projects in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest and the first school in the area designed to the Type IV Heavy Timber (HT) construction standard. The structure will combine Acoustic Dowel Laminated Timber (ADLT) decking, glulam beams and columns, structural steel, and low-carbon concrete to create a durable, lower-carbon building that supports both sustainability and long-term performance.

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Nakamoto Forestry Debuts Clear Vertical Grain Sugi

By Nakamoto Forestry
EIN Presswire
June 17, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

PORTLAND, OR — Nakamoto Forestry, the world’s leading provider of premium Japanese wood cladding, debuts Clear Vertical Grain (CVG) Sugi, expanding its portfolio to include the most exacting grade of sugi, or Japanese cedar, available in North America. In Japan, sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) is the predominant species used in construction and architecture, valued for its grain, workability, and natural resistance to insects, decay, and fire. Defined by a straight, exceptionally clear grain with little to no knots, CVG Sugi offers a calm, uniform surface with no visual distraction. The grain runs clean and consistent from end to end, producing a refined, architectural expression that emphasizes proportion and light rather than texture or pattern.

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Mass Timber Breaks New Ground at Oregon Lab

By Tim Newcomb
Engineering News Record
June 15, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

©Huang Complex

Mass timber construction continues to set new benchmarks. At Oregon State University … readies the 2027 opening of the Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex, the first mass timber lab building on the West Coast and one that sets new standards in meeting stringent research lab requirements. …ZGF Architects partner KPFF engineers helped solve the challenge of meeting the 2,000 micro-inches per second (MIPS) floor vibration requirement for a wet lab building by using a mass plywood panel. The fully plywood creation is stacked for structure and features glue for strength, but it creates a new product that can handle the vibration requirements. …Freres Engineered Wood in Oregon, the only U.S. site making mass plywood panels, crafted the material. The company says it uses structural composite lumber with multiple layers of density-graded Douglas fir veneers glued and pressed in a variety of combinations and orientations to create 1-in. layers called lamellas.

See the project details from ZGF Architects A First-of-Its-Kind Mass Timber Lab and Oregon State University website

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California launches Mass Timber Coalition

By Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
State of California
June 12, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

SACRAMENTO, California — The State of California announced the formation of the state’s first California Mass Timber Coalition, a new public-private partnership designed to accelerate the adoption of mass timber construction, drive forest health and wildfire mitigation efforts, and accelerate economic development across the state’s rural and urban communities. The Coalition brings together state and federal agencies, county and local governments, research institutions, industry representatives, forest sector organizations, non-profit organizations, and community partners to support the establishment of an in-state mass timber industry. …The Coalition will also work to establish state policy and regulations that drive positive outcomes for both utilization and manufacturing of in-state mass timber, as well as industry development and market growth. …Terry O’Brien, Chair of the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, said “This collaborative approach will help California leverage innovation, reduce wildfire risks, and support economic opportunities for communities throughout the State.” Click here for more information.

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Mass timber takes center stage at International Wood Fair (IWF) in Atlanta

By Larry Adams
Woodworking Network
June 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

ATLANTA — At IWF 2026, mass timber takes center stage with the debut of the Mass Timber & Prefab Showcase at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. This dedicated exhibit features the latest engineered wood technologies, structural building products, and prefabricated innovations. Ethan Abramson, owner of Ethan Abramson furniture and social media “voice” of the show, says that mass timber technologies are the “wood industry’s newest obsession.”  According to WoodWorks, there are currently 2,746 mass timber projects built, under construction, or in the design phase across the United States in 2026. …At IWF 2026, the mass timber showcase will feature 32 exhibitors, and overall there are more than 60 companies exhibiting who say they offer products or services for the mass timber industry. …The show runs August 25-28, 2026.

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Mass timber industry would see a boost under this bipartisan US House bill

Michigan Farm News
June 18, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

A bipartisan bill in the US House is calling for additional incentives to use of mass timber building materials in federal contracting. Introduced by House Ag Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Andrea Salinas (D-OR), the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act, the bill would give timber and other forest products companies the ability to compete for construction, renovation, or acquisition of public buildings, and for military construction. The bill creates a two-tier contracting preference for mass timber and other innovative wood projects. The first-tier preference applies to mass timber that is made within the US. …The optional second tier applies to mass timber products that are sourced from restoration practices, fire mitigation projects and forest owners. Additionally, the bill contains a reporting requirement for a whole building lifecycle assessment, which will help provide additional evidence of the environmental benefits of the use of timber and forest products in buildings.

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Sawdust foam emerges as potential alternative to polystyrene packaging

By Sichong Wang
Packaging Insights
June 30, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

©ACSPublications

Scientists have developed sawdust-based foams that could offer an alternative to fossil fuel-based materials used in protective packaging, such as polystyrene (PS) packing peanuts and box inserts. Published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials, the prototypes incorporate cellulose binders and other additives to create rigid or flexible materials. According to the scientists, some versions matched PS strength and impact resistance, while a beeswax coating improved water resistance. …The team blended fine processed wood powder or coarse unprocessed mill waste with cellulose binders and cross-linking ingredients. Then, the researchers poured the mixtures into molds, froze them, and freeze-dried the foams to remove all the moisture. A final heat-drying step activated the cross-linked networks. The properties of the prototype foams can be different depending on the type of cellulose binders. Carbomethyl cellulose versions were stiffer than PS, while hydroxypropyl cellulose produced a softer material, according to the research.

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Investing in Cellulose

CelCo
June 29, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Join us for the 16th edition of this flagship event—the only conference of its kind this year offering such a comprehensive view of the Cellulose market, covering the entire value chain from upstream to downstream. CelCo started up the conference Investing in Cellulose in 2011. Since then, it has been running every year in London, in November, the first Monday of the London Pulp Week. Its objective is to gather the entire cellulose value chain: from specialty wood pulp and cotton linters pulp suppliers to all viscose, acetate, ether & MCC, nitrate, cellophane, tyrecord, sausage casings, and sponge applications, as well as final converters up to “Brand levels” (textile, hygiene, pharmaceutical, cigarette, automotive, food, construction industries, etc.). The one-day conference includes a full-day event with 8 speakers, a breakfast, formal lunch, coffee breaks, and a cocktail the previous evening. The event will be held on Monday, November 9, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the luxurious Waldorf Hotel near Covent Garden. …This event is organized by CelCo, a cellulose consulting company registered in Switzerland, led by Christian Chavassieu, and assisted by its partner, Numera Analytics.

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Food and Agriculture Organization and Bauhaus Earth report highlights wood’s role in cutting construction emissions

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
June 25, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

London – Greater use of sustainably sourced wood could help reposition the construction sector from a major greenhouse gas emitter to a driver of climate change mitigation, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Bauhaus Earth. The findings come at a time when the built environment accounts for 37 percent of global energy and process-related emissions. With the global urban population set to double by 2050, a substantial part of the world’s future housing still needs to be built, mostly in Asia and Africa. Launched today during London Climate Action Week 2026, Wood products in the bioeconomy: scenario-based assessment of the potential for engineered wood products in climate change mitigation examines the potential use of wood in construction to reshape demand across the forest sector. In particular, engineered wood products are gaining momentum in construction, offering reduced carbon emissions compared to conventional materials such as steel and concrete. 

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England fire-safety proposal could restrict timber structures above 11m

Fordaq.com
June 26, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

A proposed change to England’s fire-safety guidance could make it much harder to use timber in load-bearing structures above 11 metres. The consultation on changes to Approved Document B, the fire-safety guidance used under the Building Regulations in England, closes on 1 July 2026. Under the draft text, load-bearing elements of structure in buildings with a storey more than 11 metres above ground level should be made from materials or products achieving at least class A2-s3,d2. Most structural timber and mass timber products do not normally meet this reaction-to-fire classification. The proposal would move the debate beyond external walls and cladding. It could affect the structural frame itself in a much wider group of mid-rise residential, commercial and mixed-use buildings. This matters because mass timber and CLT are increasingly used in projects where developers want faster construction and lower embodied carbon compared with concrete or steel.

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Hello Wood transforms abandoned railway site in Zurich with “indoor-outdoor cultural hub”

By Rheanna Hopkins
Dezeen Magazine
June 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

©HelloWood

Architecture studio Hello Wood has completed Remise Rosa, a colourful dining and events complex built from cross-laminated timber on a former railway freight yard in Switzerland. Located in Zurich West, the 2,500-square-metre development was designed and built by Hello Wood to house food stalls, bars, and event spaces, connected by brightly coloured staircases, walkways and bridges. At the heart of the project is a prefabricated structure made from cross-laminated timber (CLT). Hello Wood managed the project from initial design through to construction, with most of building’s parts manufactured off-site and assembled on location. “The CLT structure was assembled using CNC-based prefabrication for precision, minimal waste and fast, clean on-site construction, meaning the entire project was completed in just five months,” Hello Wood lead architect Balázs Szelecsényi said.

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Alliance to End Plastic Waste Report Demonstrates Feasibility of Producing High-Quality Film from Household Flexible Plastic Waste

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste
June 25, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

SINGAPORE — The Alliance to End Plastic Waste today published The Quest for Quality: Scaling Advanced Mechanical Recycling to Meet Recycled Content Targets for Flexibles, which provides a comprehensive technical and economic assessment of a 50,000-tonne-per-year advanced mechanical recycling plant for flexible plastics. The report demonstrates how high-quality recyclates can be produced from post-consumer household flexible plastics and identifies the conditions needed to scale these solutions commercially. …The Quest for Quality comes at a critical moment as brands, retailers and packaging producers prepare for the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which mandates 35% post-consumer recycled content in non-food packaging by 2030. Flexible plastic packaging, which accounts for more than half of the global plastic packaging market, remains one of the most difficult packaging formats to recycle into high-value applications, underscoring the need for scalable recycling pathways. …Find out more at endplasticwaste.org 

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Exploring the Sustainability Benefits and Environmental Impact of Mass Timber Construction

By Harish Kumar
Bizz Buzz Media, India
June 23, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Mass timber is often promoted as an environmentally friendly building material, and in many cases that reputation is deserved. A grounded way to view that claim is through actual building systems, and RedBUILT offers a good example of how engineered wood suppliers document sustainability, fabrication, and structural performance. The honest answer is that mass timber can be highly sustainable, but its environmental value depends on sourcing, design efficiency, transportation, and how intelligently the material is used in the final building. …So, is pulpwood environmentally friendly? In most well-executed cases, yes. It is based on renewable wood sources, stores carbon emissions, can reduce tangible emissions, and supports extensive low-waste prefabrication. It also aligns perfectly with sustainable structure when manufacturers provide transparent documentation and provide teams with knowledge of effective design, construction, and challenge delivery . 

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Building a greener timber future in Thailand with Swedish expertise

The Stockholm Enviormenty Institute
June 22, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

The Wood Solution Thailand Forum, recently held in Bangkok, explored practical solutions for Thailand’s timber industry by connecting Swedish forestry expertise with the country’s forest sector. The forum was part of the Wood Solution Thailand Program, which brings together researchers, foresters, architects, investors, and policymakers from across Thailand and Sweden to build a sustainable timber construction ecosystem. …Speaking at the forum, H.E. Mrs. Arunrung Phothong Humphreys, Ambassador of Thailand to Sweden, explained why Sweden’s experience offers a powerful model. …The engagement phase is supporting “pioneer initiatives” across the full value chain, from forest management to construction, demonstrating practical wood-based solutions. The forum showcased more than ten such initiatives. One flagship model is the Phrae Sustainable Wood City initiative. Reflecting Phrae’s long association with teak, the project has already trained around 150 postgraduate students as future forestry, resource and environmental managers – and it is emerging as a potential model for nationwide development.

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Dubai WoodShow 2026 to open June 22

Big News Network
June 20, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

DUBAI — More than 400 exhibitors from over 45 countries will gather in Dubai next week for the Dubai WoodShow 2026, an international trade exhibition focusing on the automation and digital supply chain technologies reshaping the global timber industry. The three-day event, running from 22nd to 24th June at the Dubai World Trade Centre, features over 600 international brands and five dedicated country pavilions. With the timber trade becoming increasingly shaped by supply chain shifts, evolving sourcing strategies, and the growing need for speed, visibility, and operational efficiency, this year’s edition of Dubai WoodShow places strong focus on AI, automation, smart logistics, and digital supply chain systems that are transforming how wood products are sourced, moved, and delivered across markets.

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How can we make buildings more resilient before—and after—earthquakes?

By Askkan Hashemi
Tech Xplore
June 13, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND — This week’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Philippines came with scenes familiar to New Zealanders: collapsed buildings, shattered facades and streets strewn with rubble. Earthquakes of such force test buildings to their limits. …Last month, in one of the country’s most demanding full-scale earthquake tests, we assessed an emerging timber-based technology and found that it can meet all these requirements. Over the past decade, many people will have heard growing talk about timber as a low-carbon alternative to concrete and steel. While we might picture traditional timber-framed houses, modern mass timber construction is very different. …During earthquake shaking, engineered timber structures have been found to perform extremely well. …To understand how our system performs under realistic earthquake conditions, we built a full-scale, modular CLT building and tested it on the University of Auckland’s “shake table” simulator. …The building performed as hoped.

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Builders look to five-day timber homes in bid to solve London’s housing crisis

The Standard
June 13, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Timber frame homes built in as little as five days could be a way to increase the pace of housebuilding in London, some of the capital’s largest construction companies have heard. Industry leaders travelled to Scotland to learn how the housing is produced, from sustainable forestry through to completed homes, as developers and ministers look for ways to increase the number of homes in the city. Scotland has adopted timber frame construction on a greater scale than England. About 92% of new homes north of the border are built using timber frame, compared with 13% in England. Andrew Orriss, of the Structural Timber Association, said: “Scotland builds faster, greener, and more efficiently than England. …“And the reason is timber frame. …Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has a target to build 88,000 new homes per year. …In Britain, structural timber are only permitted to a maximum height of 18 metres, or up to 6 storeys.

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