Wood Construction: The Way of the Future?

How do we take what we have learned and the innovations that we have made in construction, and apply them to new projects? We continue to evolve with concrete, but the question that continues to be asked is, what can we do with wood?

Wood is significantly more cost effective than concrete, so it can aid Toronto’s affordability issues. The biggest debate against wood has always been about height and safety, with fire concerns being chief among those issues. However, construction is slated to start on a new building that may challenge some of our notions on wood construction.

The Wood Innovation and Design Centre, which should start to rise in Prince George, British Columbia soon, is being built by PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. in an effort to pave the way

for higher and more efficiently built wood frame buildings.

“I think this building is one of the most important wood buildings in North American history,” architect Michael Green said Friday to the Globe and Mail. “I think what it is, is the first step for us here in Canada, and North America wide, to enter the arena of tall buildings built of wood.”

This debate isn't a new one for Ontario. Bob Finnigan has been pushing wood construction as an option for a while.

"Things like the six-storey wood-frame construction that the OHBA is pushing for would go a long way versus concrete buildings. Less cost and more options. It’s still a learning curve for us as we go through it, we haven’t seen a lot of the new plans for communities going forward, but we do know that it’s not going to be what it was 20 years ago," said Finnigan to us in a recent interview.

It will be interesting to see how Ontario moves forward with wood construction. There is no doubt that we will continue to see wood used more in the near future. With so many mid-rise infill projects destined for Toronto, wood would be very useful in making the units more affordable. If we can use wood safely and keep affordability down - it’s a slam dunk for us!

What are your thoughts on wood construction?

Comment below.