When Nak’azdli Development Corp. (NDC) unveils its inaugural Timber House next month – a unique prefabricated home in Canada that uses stud lumber from local saw mills and an innovative panel construction system by local forestry startup Deadwood Innovations – visitors will see firsthand what’s possible when academia partners with business to solve pressing challenges. Reflecting on Canada’s housing crisis and challenges faced by the forestry industry, “there has been a lot of emphasis recently on fast-tracking mass timber construction for large-scale buildings in large urban centres, but very little focus on supporting regional housing, tailored to the specific needs of remote and rural communities,” said Owen Miller, Deadwood Innovations CEO and co-founder, explaining that these large projects primarily use high-cost dimension lumber. “Our approach is all about tapping into local lumber, resources and expertise to build housing that aligns with community and cultural needs, is sustainable and delivers affordable homes built to last,” Miller said.