HDR CEI Architecture associate Robert Cesnik and Greyback Construction’s Mike Symonds encapsulated their experiences building the Penticton Lakeside Resort’s west wing in Penticton, B.C. to attendees of the Wood Solutions Fair, held recently in Vancouver. Cesnik said mass timber was the chosen material for the project because of its carbon sequestration ability. The hotel also created an opportunity for Okanagan firms to develop an expertise in mass timber construction, and current projects include wineries made of cross-laminated timber (CLT), office buildings and residential structures. Design of the Lakeside Resort, Cesnik said, began in the client’s mind as a concrete building. … “But switching to mass timber, the weight was such that we didn’t need to use piles, so there was an initial savings to the project,” Cesnik said.