Canadian Wood Council announces opportunity for high-rise wood demonstration projects

The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) has issued a request for an Expression of Interest (EOI) for Canadian developers, institutions, organizations and design teams willing to undertake an innovative approach to designing and building high-rise wood demonstration projects. With funding support from Natural Resources Canada, the goal of this initiative is to link new scientific advances and data with technical expertise to showcase the application, practicality and environmental benefits of innovative wood based structural building solutions.

“We are delighted to begin the demonstration project funding process, which will continue with an evaluation of proponent submissions and the identification of suitable high-rise projects,” explains Etienne Lalonde, vice president market development, CWC.

The objective of the EOI is to identify building project(s) in the concept, schematic or design development stages, within Canada, which safely and successfully demonstrate the use of wood as a viable structural element/system in buildings of 10-storeys and more.

Above and beyond the safety, environmental and economic benefits of wood, the demonstration project(s) will push designers, builders and manufacturers to further refine the specification and use of structural wood products—ultimately expanding upon the opportunity for new market development.

Lalonde goes on to say, “The goal of the initiative is to support selected proponents to push the boundaries of wood construction and design and to reach new heights of possibility with innovative solutions that are backed by scientific research and technical expertise.”

This is the first step of a new CWC initiative to identify the paramount selection of project(s) within Canada for consideration by an expert evaluation team of scientists, researchers, building code officials, fire safety professionals, designers, engineers and construction industry experts.

The full EOI document, related background information (including an outline of research being conducted by FPInnovations for the “Development of a Technical Guide for the Design and Construction of Canadian Tall Wood Buildings”) and contact details can be found on the project website at: www.cwcdemoproject.ca.