FII advances wood use and innovative wood construction technologies here at home.
By ensuring BC is an early adopter of new products and approaches to building with wood, mass timber and engineered wood products, we support regulatory change, stimulate jobs in the sector and showcase these advancements around the world.
FII works with industry, First Nations and government partners to advance wood use in BC through:
Developed by FII, naturally:wood is an information resource showcasing British Columbia as a global leader in wood construction and a supplier of quality, environmentally responsible wood products from sustainably managed forests. Architects, builders, designers, engineers, owners, and wood product buyers gain access to credible, fact-based information about B.C.’s diverse and innovative forest products, advanced wood building systems, and the province’s evolving sustainable forest management practices. To highlight these benefits and showcase innovation, naturally:wood curates a wide variety of online resources, including technical tools, guides, research reports, project profiles, and case studies.
Wood buildings are mounting to new heights across B.C. through the Mass Timber Demonstration Program (MTDP) funded by the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation and FII. Designed to showcase the potential of building taller and larger buildings from wood, the 19 projects include six that are 7+ storeys. Projects range from a new multi-use municipal centre targeting Passive House certification in Castlegar to a 25-storey mass timber rental housing tower in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
FII and naturally:wood are collaborating with WoodWorks BC to document each project in the areas of taller wood, scalability, rental housing, energy efficiency, and new design and construction practices. Lessons learned are being shared with B.C.’s building industry, including design practitioners, developers, construction contractors, provincial and municipal regulators, and permitting and approval agencies.
Launched in 2022, Build United grew from Construction Foundation of BC’s Skills Ready and Indigenous Skills initiatives. In response to the need for career exploration activities in B.C.’s K-12 system, it represents an approach to applied learning that considers how to use everyday tools on a jobsite to create connections between learners, explore core curriculum, and encourage collaborative problem solving.
Build United’s projects and processes promote applied learning, delivering workshops for youth and train-the-trainer opportunities for teachers. The initiative represents an opportunity to explore social and cultural themes through interactive, engaging, and hands-on projects; especially those made from wood.
Collaboration continues to strengthen, including 12 formalized partnerships between CFBC and First Nations communities and organizations for ongoing programming and educators across B.C. engaging with the project website, resource guides and idea books to integrate wood-related activities into their teaching practices.
As a relatively new building product in North America, mass timber use still faces knowledge gaps in the design, engineering, manufacturing, and construction sectors. To address this barrier to growth, the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) organized a three-day workshop dedicated to mass timber construction through Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA). DfMA prioritizes ease of manufacturing and assembly by minimizing time, waste, cost and labor, while improving quality and efficiency.
The workshop employed a hands-on lecture/design/build format, attracting designers, engineers, manufacturers, and contractors. Now in its second year, the sold out workshop drew 16 industry participants and three UBC wood product students who collaborated on the design, fabrication, and assembly of a pavilion using cross-laminated timber and glulam beams.
The workshop’s success and the interest it generated indicate a growing acknowledgment of the significance of DfMA in promoting collaboration, reducing costs, and enhancing the efficiency and quality of mass timber construction projects.