Mass Timber Guest Lecture at BCIT
“In the face of a changing climate and the urgent need for low-carbon solutions, forests and wood products play a critical role in reshaping how we design and build” - Designing for Mass Timber, BCIT
The British Columbia Institute of Technology is hosting a two week mini course called Designing for Mass Timber – Principles of Sustainability. The course highlights the importance of designing with timber as the world continues to face the climate crisis – of which the construction industry contributes to significantly.
Credit Valley Hospital by Farrow Partners, under construction
Mass timber construction categorizes architectural design that engages with timber structural members as opposed to concrete, steel, or composite systems. Projects such as the Credit Valley Hospital, SZMC Butterfly Cancer Center, and Lauremont School Bayview campus are examples of this strategy. Trees absorb and store carbon from the earth’s atmosphere and therefore have embodied carbon. Steel and concrete are high producers of carbon emissions due to their rigorous production process and transportation requirements.
Mass timber construction not only allows for a more sustainable and climate conscious approach to architectural design, it also contributes to the health and well-being of the human body. Tye Farrow will deliver a guest lecture to the Designing with Mass Timber mini course at BCIT on October 7 to further discuss the health-enhancing properties of timber construction.