The latest expertise, innovations, current trends and project developments in wood design and building will be presented in Vancouver next week at the 2017 Wood Solutions Conference. Speakers from Canada and around the world, including Australia, the UK and Austria will inform and inspire BC’s architects, engineers and other design and building professionals on Tuesday, November 14 at the Vancouver Convention Centre – East.

The conference is presented by Wood WORKS! BC and the Canadian Wood Council with funding from Natural Resources Canada. Along with an exceptional lineup of national and international speakers, there will be an interactive trade show and many engagement opportunities with distinguished industry leaders, design and building innovators, product experts and key members of project teams.

“Wood is playing a leading role in many ground-breaking and distinctive structures in BC and around the world,” explained Lynn Embury-Williams, Executive Director, Wood WORKS! BC. “These seminars and conference opportunities are designed to advance proficiency and ingenuity in wood use. This level of collaboration and education is imperative for addressing our building needs for the future.”

Wood WORKS! BC and the Canadian Wood Council are pleased to support the work of architects, designers, engineers, builders, technologists, building officials, technologists and other industry professionals by offering leading-edge wood design expertise and knowledge through this one-day annual event.

Attendees will learn about expanding opportunities for wood in both architectural and structural applications including technical sessions on mass timber and hybrid system design, transformative building technologies, off-site prefabrication, sustainability, acoustic and fire performance.

With wood now recognized for its role in reducing carbon impacts in our built environment, builders and designers are increasingly embracing technologically advanced wood products and building systems for their many advantages, including speed of construction. The reduced carbon footprint and embodied energy of wood buildings plays an important role in sustainable development and climate change mitigation.

Among the 2017 Wood Solutions Conference international speakers will be David Lomax of Waugh Thistleton Architects from the UK who will be speaking about his firm’s work in building tall, dense housing schemes in London from cross-laminated timber (CLT) to help address the UK’s housing crisis – with the benefits of a reduced carbon impact and faster construction timelines. Austrian architect Dr. Herwig Ronacher will examine the practical applications of timber in a variety of commercial and institutional structures in Austria while Australian speaker Andrew Dunn will speak about the rise of mass timber use “down under”. Here in BC, where designers, builders and manufacturers are taking a leading role in innovative wood use, the Wood Solutions Conference is pleased to present StructureCraft’s head of engineering Lucas Epp, who will unveil details about the firm’s new industrial building in Abbotsford, BC, which is envisioned as a prototype for cost‐ competitive timber industrial buildings.

One of the world’s leading innovators and progressive thinkers on how we can create a carbon-friendly future built environment is the keynote lunch-time speaker. BC architect Michael Green will explore wood’s important role in meeting some of the greatest challenges of our time.

“The 2017 Wood Solutions Conference offers an extraordinary educational opportunity, being both informational and inspirational for building and design professionals as they continue to go outside traditional boundaries for wood by using new technologies and solutions, and setting a new standard for excellence in wood innovation globally,” concluded Ms. Embury-Williams.

The full program and registration information can be viewed here: www.woodsolutionsconference.com

 

Wood WORKS! is a national industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, with a goal to support innovation and provide leadership on the use of wood products and building systems. Through workshops, seminars, conferences and case studies, Wood WORKS! provides education, training and technical expertise to building and design professionals and local governments involved with commercial, institutional and industrial construction projects throughout BC.