Our goal is to promote the use of wood and wood products in construction projects, and to acknowledge the contribution of wood-use advocates and industry leaders.
Wood WORKS!
6 Storey Wood Construction Will Deliver Affordable Housing and more to Halifax Regional Municipality
Garden View, the first midrise project developed under ‘Reinventing Main Street,’ central Dartmouth’s new revitalization plan, will provide much needed affordable housing for seniors and families in the Halifax Regional Municipality. The 20-year plan will see the area transformed from a suburban strip mall shopping district into a dynamic, compact mixed-use community with a variety of interdependent residential and commercial developments. Read the press release.
The Mosaic Centre for Conscious Community and Commerce – Case Study
Located in Edmonton, Alberta, the Mosaic Centre for Conscious Community and Commerce was designed to be the province’s first “net-zero energy” commercial building and demonstrate the feasibility of low-energy-use buildings in cold climates.
The owners challenged the design team to deliver a net-zero energy building capable of gaining certification by the Living Building Institute and LEED Platinum. In addition, feasibility analysis favoured wood construction to meet all building science challenges and also provide an enhanced interior work environment.
Construction started in mid-March 2014 and was completed in the fall of 2015 – three months ahead of schedule and on budget. Click on the image to read more.
Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre Case Study Now Available
Ontario Wood WORKS! is pleased to announce the publication of our latest case study featuring the Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre. Constructed of wood and accented with stone, the Education Centre reflects the materials of the surrounding forest. The use of wood in the design was integral to the building’s performance and appropriate to its function as a forest education centre. The project targeted LEED® Platinum certification and is also expected to be the first Living Building Challenge (LBC) project in Ontario, and one of only a few world-wide to achieve full certification.
Online Learning with the eLearning Centre
Earn Continuing Education Learning Units
Free online courses – found at www.woodworkselearning.com – are self-paced and available 24/7. Courses feature a prestigious international faculty of Architects, Engineers, Researchers and Educators that present online modules providing you with the most current information on wood materials, design and applications. Click HERE to browse the course catalogue.
The Benefits of Wood in Building Construction – a new video by Natural Resources Canada
Transcript: Wood, an abundant and renewable natural resource, is suitable for many types of building construction. Be it residential or non-residential, light frame or heavy timber frame, low rise or mid-rise, wood can be used in various building applications. This is because of the many benefits and positive attributes of wood. The Government of Canada supports the research and development of wood-based construction. A versatile and often cost-effective building material wood can enable developers to build more quickly and more cheaply. Wood structures are strong, durable and resilient. They can be designed to resist major earthquakes and hurricane-like winds. Wood can be used to build striking features like roofs, ceilings, walls and bridges, resulting in visually-appealing structures. Wood building materials are also good for the environment. They are renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, and they store carbon, resulting in a smaller environmental footprint than other building materials. In fact, a typical North American wood-frame home stores about 30 tonnes of carbon. his is equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by running the family car for over 5 years. Federally-supported research continues to demonstrate the many benefits of wood in building construction. Wood. Good for building. Good for the environment. Good for Canada.
