Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

An abundance of emerging research actually shows trees experience a second life when their wood is incorporated into our buildings, furniture, and fixtures — leading to a slew of surprising mental health benefits for humans and the planet we call home. When it comes to advancing the use of wood in green and clean building technology and pushing for nature-based solutions to climate change, Canada is at the forefront — after all, our sprawling country accounts for 40% of the world’s certified sustainably managed forests. …the neurological, physiological, and psychological benefits of having nature built into our environments can lead to lower stress, reduced blood pressure, better moods, and increased relaxation and concentration. At work, biophilic design means more productive employees, while in healthcare facilities it spells faster recovery and a better healing experience… Be proud when choosing to buy Canadian forest products. …you are making a climate-smart choice that’s good for your health, too.

Waste materials from the pulp and paper industry have long been seen as possible fillers for building products like cement, but for years these materials have ended up in the landfill. Now, researchers at UBC Okanagan are developing guidelines to use this waste for road construction in an environmentally friendly manner. …”Anytime we can redirect waste to a sustainable alternative, we are heading in the right direction,” says Dr. Sumi Siddiqua, associate professor at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering. …”Overall, our research affirms the use of recycled wood ash from pulp mills for construction activities such as making sustainable roads and cost-neutral buildings can derive enormous environmental and economic benefits,” she says. “And not just benefits for the industry, but to society as a whole by reducing waste going to landfills and reducing our ecological footprints.”

The provincial government will spend $4.2 million to help fund 12 mass timber demonstration and research projects around B.C. — including Saanich’s new fire hall. The grants include $500,000 for the redevelopment of Saanich Fire Station No. 2, which will demonstrate how mass timber can be used in a post-disaster building designed to withstand emergencies. That project will replace the existing one-storey, 3,800-square-foot building with a two-storey, 23,580-square-foot building featuring a steel and timber post and beam system. …The investment is part of the province’s post-COVID economic recovery plan. “Diversifying our forest sector is a key part of our government’s plan to create and support jobs in every region of the province,” said Forests Minister Katrine Conroy. A new mass timber advisory council has been established to help establish the province as a leader in the production and use of mass timber.

Additional coverage by Tom Fletcher – B.C. funds 12 mass-timber research and development projects

Urban YVR – 21-storey Vancouver mass timber rental tower announced

VANCOUVER — Terry Beech, MP for Burnaby North–Seymour, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $900,000 investment to support the design and construction of oN5, a four-storey mass timber office building, to become the new home of Equilibrium Consulting. Named for its location… oN5 will be a smart growth infill building that will demonstrate what is possible in mass timber construction. oN5 will be the first office building in Canada constructed using high-performance cross-laminated timber panels. The project will showcase the potential for mass timber. …oN5 will incorporate several sustainable building technologies — most notably, the use of mass timber and strategies based on Passive House principles, making oN5 energy-efficient, comfortable, affordable and ecological at the same time. Funding for the project is provided through NRCan’s Green Construction Through Wood Program.

The Province is providing funding for 12 mass timber demonstration and research projects and has established a new advisory council to accelerate the adoption of mass timber building systems, as part of the Province’s economic recovery. “As we work to put the pandemic behind us, we will continue making strategic investments that position B.C. to come back stronger on the other side,” said Premier John Horgan. “Mass timber is good for forestry-dependent communities, workers and the environment – because it adds value rather than just volume. That’s why growing the sector is key to building a strong and sustainable economic recovery that reaches everyone.” The $4.2-million investment in mass timber demonstration projects and research will help urban planners and developers adopt mass timber building systems by supporting the incremental or first-time costs of design development, research, permitting and construction activities. …This announcement is part of B.C.’s $10-billion COVID-19 response

Mass timber demonstration projects grow BC’s expertise and advance wood construction, all the while boosting local economies and the province’s competitive advantage. BC’s design practitioners, developers, construction contractors, provincial and municipal code, permitting and approval agencies will benefit from the lessons learned from these building projects and resulting research. 2150 Keith Drive  | First Nations Health Authority Metro Vancouver Office  | Bellevue and 22nd  | District of Saanich Fire Station #2 Redevelopment  | Main and Cordova (MAC)  | Prototype  | The Exchange | 837 Beatty Street Rehabilitation and Addition  |  

The first-ever mass timber aircraft hanger has been announced for the Kelowna International Airport. Federal officials announced they would be contributing $800,000 to KF Aerospace to build a multi-use airport hangar. The two-storey structure will be the first of its kind in Canada, using state-of-the-art floor and tall wall wood-based systems to accommodate the large spacing between columns … the hangar will house an aviation museum and a conference centre. The total carbon benefits realized from the use of mass timber for this construction are an estimated 1,753 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide. The project’s funding is being delivered through Natural Resources Canada’s Green Construction through Wood Program, which aims to advance the use of wood in non-traditional construction projects like low-rise non-residential buildings, tall wood buildings and bridges. The program positions Canada as a world leader in innovative wood construction technologies and the low-carbon economy.

Garry Merkel

Well known Kimberley area resident Garry Merkel will be receiving an honorary degree from UBC. Merkel joins Dr. Bonnie Henry and climate activist Greta Thunberg as a recipient. In addition to being a founding member of the board of the Columbia Basin Trust, where he served as vice-chair and chair, Merkel has had a long-term interest in culturally relevant education of Indigenous peoples. He is a member of the Tahltan Nation. He was a senior negotiator and advisor for the Ktunaxa Nation Council, a Registered Professional Forester, a Co-Chair of the BC Minister of Forests Practices Advisory Council, and a Co-Chair of the First Nations Council of Advisors. …His purpose is to create better ways to look after the land by empowering communities and others to build practical land-management tools, organizations, education, businesses, and public policy that integrate a deep philosophical base that worships the land.

BURNABY, British Columbia — In recognition of the growth in innovative wood engineering and architecture in British Columbia, and to support the safe design and construction of taller mass timber buildings, Engineers and Geoscientists BC and the Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) have published Joint Professional Practice Guidelines – Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction up to 12 Storeys — new guidelines to clarify the expectations for professional practice for architects and engineers designing mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys. In order to protect the public, the province’s engineering and architecture regulators regularly assess new and innovative practices and develop forward thinking practice guidance that allows engineering professionals and architects to apply the latest technologies and pioneer new possibilities. This guideline follows recent legislative changes which allow construction of encapsulated mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys. …Engineers and Geoscientists BC and the AIBC will be offering a continuing education webinar to provide engineers and architects with the guidelines 

KELOWNA, BC – Canada’s forest sector is transforming the materials we use in construction. Using mass timber in building construction helps lower emissions, advance innovation in forestry and supports local manufacturing and jobs. Canada is investing in the use of mass timber in innovative and non-traditional building applications. The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Canada’sMinister of Natural Resources, today announced an $800,000 investment to KF Aerospace, to build a multi-use airport hangar that will showcase a highly innovative and unique application of wood in its construction. Located at the Kelowna International Airport, the two-storey multi-use structure will be the first of its kind in Canada, using state-of-the-art floor and tall wall wood-based systems to accommodate the large spacing between columns — a typical design element for a hangar but not yet done using this innovative building system. 

KELOWNA, BC  – Canada’s forest sector is transforming the materials we use in construction. Using mass timber in building construction helps lower emissions, advance innovation in forestry and supports local manufacturing and jobs. Canada is investing in the use of mass timber in innovative and non-traditional building applications.  The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an $800,000 investment to KF Aerospace, to build a multi-use airport hangar that will showcase a highly innovative and unique application of wood in its construction.  Located at the Kelowna International Airport, the two-storey multi-use structure will be the first of its kind in Canada, using state-of-the-art floor and tall wall wood-based systems to accommodate the large spacing between columns — a typical design element for a hangar but not yet done using this innovative building system.

VANCOUVER — A major expansion incorporating additional academic space and new student housing is planned for Douglas College immediately west of its main campus in downtown New Westminster. …The proposal calls for a 215-ft-tall, 18-storey, L-shaped tower, with 217,000 sq ft of academic space in a portion of the lower 10 levels and 121,000 sq ft of student housing. …Douglas College is proposing to construct a significant portion of this building using mass timber components. While the lower levels for the academic space would use concrete construction, the student residences above would use encapsulated mass timber construction. It is noted that building 12 floors using mass timber methods over concrete floors would require special consideration as it goes beyond the current limitations of wood construction under the BC Building Code.

KELOWNA, BC – Red Leaf Pulp, developer of a proprietary wheat straw-based pulp mill in central Saskatchewan, announced the Life Cycle Assessment results for its products. The LCA, prepared by NatureBank Asset Management, concluded that Red Leaf’s pulp has a significantly lower embodied carbon value than conventional wood-based, virgin and recycled pulps.  The conventional pulps compared included existing ag-pulps, and wood pulps including Chemi-Thermo Mechanical, Sulphate, Sulphite, Eucalyptus and Recycled Corrugated Cardboard. Red Leaf’s pulp process measures 280 kg CO2e/tonne of GHG Emissions, on a Cradle-to-Gate basis. …The Cradle-to-Gate LCA method does not account for the additional downstream environmental benefits. …Red Leaf Pulp is scheduled to commence construction of its initial facility in central Saskatchewan in 2022, with commercial production commencing in 2023. 

A company that makes commercial and industrial buildings out of prefabricated panels said it will build a large manufacturing facility on the South Island within about a year. Nexii Building Solutions Inc. said Monday it is looking at a number of undisclosed sites for the $50-million plant, which would cover about 150,000 square feet and eventually employ about 200 people. The company uses a proprietary material called Nexiite, an alternative to concrete, that is poured into moulds to form energy-efficient walls and other building components. The pieces are delivered to construction sites and bolted for quick assembly, cutting construction costs and timelines. …Vancouver-based Nexii Inc. said the company’s design and assembly process can reduce construction timelines by up to 75%, lower construction costs and eliminate scaffolding. Assembly is less dependent on weather and, with fewer delays, it reduces on-site construction waste. Nexii says its panels are resistant to fire, water, mold and insects.

Adam Corneil

Instead of ending up as a heap of rubble in a landfill, older buildings facing demolition can now find new life in another house or furniture as part of a B.C. sustainable-deconstruction venture. Vancouver-based Unbuilders offers homeowners and builders a more environmentally friendly alternative to demolition, where typically only a few items are salvaged and the rest goes into an already stressed landfill. …“We’re not reinventing the wheel. Building salvage has been around for ages,” said Adam Corneil, founder of Unbuilders. …All the lumber he salvages is resold, from dimensional lumber to shiplap and strapping, posts, beams, joists and wide-plank oak and fir flooring. The tight-grained wood, some of it from old-growth trees, goes to builders, furniture-makers and hobbyists. “Old wood, like wine, gets better with age,” said Corneil. “The best is in pre-1950s houses, but anything pre-1975, before the extensive use of plywood, is desirable.”

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Two elementary schools each built more than 90 years ago are being replaced by new LEED Gold buildings largely constructed using mass timber. Bayview Elementary School and Sir Mathew Begbie Elementary School, both located in School District #39, are part of a Vancouver School Board pilot project for future mass timber schools. The $50 million project to build the two schools has received $1,482,000 in funding through Natural Resources Canada’s Green Construction through Wood Program. The program encourages the use of wood in non-traditional construction projects, including tall wood buildings, low-rise non-rntial buildings and bridges. …Nick Bevilacqua, principal of Fast + Epp structural engineers said, “in addition to meeting the demands of the seismic mitigation program, the timber framing systems used in these buildings provide warm, inviting spaces for the school community as well as help the school board meet their sustainability objectives.”

Port Moody, a city in Metro Vancouver, Canada is considering placing a ban on using concrete in high-rise construction. Instead, the city would encourage mass-timber building as it looks for ways to reduce construction-related greenhouse gases by 40% over the next nine years. This proposition is set forth by Coun. Steve Milani. …Some members of the city council look at Milani’s proposition as short-sighted. …Coun. Zoë Royer argues that banning concrete construction could actually increase greenhouse gases by encouraging urban sprawl away from the city’s mass transit systems and increasing vehicle usage. …The CEO of the Ottawa-based Cement Association of Canada, Michael McSweeney, believes that any decisions regarding building materials should be based on science. “We can’t be greenwashing,” he explains. He also mentions that he’s “never seen anyone try to ban a building material that is authorized for use in the national and provincial building codes.”