Mass timber is part of a worldwide construction shift towards prefabrication and offsite construction. Prefabricated buildings made from sustainable sourced mass timber are a huge environmental and economic opportunity for B.C. and generate a triple win of low-carbon buildings, secure jobs and forest sector growth.

Mass timber buildings (7-12 stories), rare in B.C. but growing and important for densification and livability, are well suited for mass timber construction. They help support significant embodied carbon reductions, thriving communities and affordable housing. B.C. has the resources and expertise to lead this construction category and, as of 2019, allows mass timber buildings up to 12 stories within some early-adopter jurisdictions. Yet uptake remains low for many reasons, including policy/regulatory barriers and supply/demand dynamics.

Download the guides below to learn more about how you can join the worldwide mass timber movement.

Building Capacity – Local Prefab Mass Timber Solutions

Building Capacity covers mass timber solutions for senior government officials, the development industry and local governments. Released in February 2023, this 60-page guide breaks down the challenges and potential solutions for each audience.

Local Government Quick Reference Handbook

Released in April 2023, this quick reference guide is aimed at elected officials and local government staff interested in implementing mass timber solutions in their community.

Design Solutions to Prefab Mass Timber Construction

A design guide aimed at those with planning or architecture backgrounds. Released in September 2022.

Building Capacity Guide Information

Building Capacity: Local Prefab Mass Timber Solutions offers ways for local governments to develop policies and regulations that facilitate mid-rise mass timber construction. It also provides paths for senior levels of government and the building sector to contribute to successful mass timber projects and help scale this novel building form in B.C.  

Building Capacity is the culmination of a year-long process led by Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Renewable Cities that included independent research and analysis complemented by engagement with over 230 developers, design consultants, builders, manufacturers, local government planners and building officials. It was released in February 2023.

Funders

Building Capacity was funded by BC Hydro, Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) and the Office of Mass Timber Implementation in the B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.

Mid-rise buildings (7 to 12 stories) constructed with prefab mass timber have epic potential in B.C. to offer environmental, economic and community benefits.

Despite the tremendous interest, significant barriers exist to scaling large, complex prefab wood buildings, including a suite of local government planning and building policies and processes.

In 2022, SFU’s Renewable Cities assembled an interdisciplinary project team of architects, planners, developers and building officials to work with communities and stakeholders to increase understanding of key land use and permitting barriers for the construction of prefabricated and mid-rise mass timber construction.

Funded by B.C. Hydro, FII and JERI Ministry, the Renewable Cities-led Project Team engaged over 230 municipal and building stakeholders which have helped inform the development of the Building Capacity: Local Prefab Mass Timber Solutions Guide.

Identified  land use policies that inadvertently hinder the use of prefabricated and mass timber construction for mid-rise buildings in B.C. and recommended a suite of solutions 

Identified  building permit and design guideline challenges and solutions, and published Phase 1 & 2 findings in the Building Capacity: Local Prefab Mass Timber Solutions Guide   

Disseminating Phase 1 & 2 findings to key constituencies through workshops, briefs and promotion of the Building Capacity Guide. It will include training and accredited education sessions for audiences. 

Enhanced outreach begins with key audiences, such as local government elected officials and community design panels across B.C.  

If your organization is interested in having our team lead a workshop or short presentation, please reach out to Veronica Grant, veronica_grant@sfu.ca 

Our interdisciplinary project team assembled by Renewable Cities with the M.J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University involving the Building Officials Association of BC, Ecosse Development Corp, Penway Consulting and Scius Advisory Services.

For more information, please contact Veronica Grant (veronica_grant@sfu.ca) at Renewable Cities. 

OTHER EVENTS

If you would like to highlight an event here, email info@renewablecities.ca.

2019

• 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference—November 11-22, 2019
• Renewable Cities’ State-City Collaboration on Clean Energy Transformations—May 29-30, 2019, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Clean Energy Ministerial 2019 (CEM10)—May 27-29, 2019, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

2018

• 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference—December 3-14, 2018, Katowice, Poland
• Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions’ Bioenergy: Opportunities and challenges of harnessing waste to reduce GHGs—October 11, 2018, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• BC Sustainable Energy Association Energy Connections 2018—September 15, 2018, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• Global Climate Action Summit and 3rd Annual Dialogue on 100% Renewable Energy in Cities—September 12-14, 2018, San Francisco, CA, United States
• SOLAR CANADA: CanSIA’s Annual Conference + Exposition—June 20-21, 2018, Calgary, AB, Canada
• ICLEI World Congress 2018—June 19-23, 2018, Montreal, QC, Canada
• Clean Energy BC’s Global Electrification Summit – Spring Conference & AGM—June 14, 2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Canadian Bioeconomy Conference—June 6-8, 2018, Prince George, BC, Canada
• Renewable Cities Australia—May 23-24, 2018, Adelaide, Australia
• Resilient Cities 2018—April 26-28, 2019, Bonn, Germany
• Energy Cities Conference—April 18-20, 2018, Rennes, France
• GLOBE Forum 2018—March 14-16, 2018, Vancouver, BC, Canada
• IPCC Cities and Climate Change Conference—March 5-7, 2018, Edmonton, AB, Canada
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities  2018 Sustainable Communities Conference—February 6-8, 2018, Ottawa, ON, Canada

2017

• 2nd Annual North American Dialogue on 100% Renewable Energy in Cities—July 31 – August 1, 2017,  Golden, CO, United States (Convened in partnership with Renewable Cities)
• Clean Energy BC‘s Generate 2017—November 26-29, 2017, Vancouver, B.C.
• UN COP23—November 6-17, 2017, Bonn, Germany
• The Local Dimension of NDCs: 100% Renewable Energy—November 9, 2017, Bonn, Germany (Convened in partnership with Renewable Cities)
• QUEST 2017 Smart Energy Communities—November 6-8, 2017, Ottawa, ON, Canada
• Retooling Community Energy – CEKAP Fall Workshop Tour—October 17, 2017, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
• American Solar Energy Society SOLAR 2017—October 9-12, 2017, Denver, CO, United States
• ICLEI Canada 2017 Livable Cities Forum—September 18-20, 2017, Victoria, B.C., Canada