naturally:wood

naturally:wood We're a go-to source on British Columbia, Canada’s forests and forest products.

Here you’ll discover advances in forest management and the possibilities of this centuries-old building material from timber towers to new biomass and wood fibre products

BCIT’s 12-storey Tall Timber Student Housing building delivers 469 much-needed dormitory units for the main Burnaby camp...
06/05/2026

BCIT’s 12-storey Tall Timber Student Housing building delivers 469 much-needed dormitory units for the main Burnaby campus, more than doubling the Institute’s student housing supply.

The project utilized a prefabricated hybrid mass timber design to cut embodied carbon and speed up construction times, making it both efficient and sustainable.

Learn more about this incredible project on our website!

Photo credit: Andrew Latreille
 



The Sea to Sky Gondola stands as one of the best examples of sustainable design, natural beauty, and community collabora...
05/28/2026

The Sea to Sky Gondola stands as one of the best examples of sustainable design, natural beauty, and community collaboration in the world of mass timber construction.

Featuring a gondola terminal, administration offices, retail spaces, and the Summit Lodge with a large outdoor viewing deck, this facility was constructed with locally sourced Douglas-fir glulam beams and rough-sawn planks to blend seamlessly with its stunning surroundings.

The use of prefabricated glulam post-and-beam systems provided the required strength to endure heavy snow loads while reducing environmental impact during construction, demonstrating the versatility and benefits of B.C. wood products for a destination that showcases the beauty of B.C.
 
This building is featured in the latest architectural tour by . Visit our homepage now to view the full video.
 
Photo credit: Topo Films and Keegan Pearson
 architects

Rommel Construction

05/21/2026

Six-storey light-frame construction is still viable in high-seismic regions.

Despite the substantial building code revisions to the structural requirements for seismic design, the guide demonstrates that light-frame mid-rise buildings can continue to perform. With the right design approach, six-storey projects can remain feasible and cost-competitive.

For designers and owners questioning where light-frame fits going forward, the guide provides reassurance grounded in analysis, not assumption.

Learn more:
https://www.naturallywood.com/resources/light-frame-mid-rise-buildings-in-high-seismic-regions/

Photo credit: Wade Comer

Canadian Wood Council
WoodWorks BC
Wicke Herfst Maver Structural Engineers

At the heart of Vancouver’s renewed PNE Amphitheatre is the Freedom Mobile Arch, featuring one of the world's largest, f...
05/19/2026

At the heart of Vancouver’s renewed PNE Amphitheatre is the Freedom Mobile Arch, featuring one of the world's largest, free‑spanning roofs made of glulam arches and CLT panels. Spanning 105 metres and touching down at only three points, the structure creates a fully column‑free audience experience while significantly reducing embodied carbon by using Canadian mass timber.

This project is a powerful example of how advanced timber engineering, precision fabrication and hybrid structural systems can redefine civic architecture at an urban scale.

Revery Architecture
City of Vancouver - Local Government
PNE/Playland
Fast + Epp
EllisDon Corporation
Walters Group
Nordic Structures

The təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre in New Westminster is Canada's first completed Zero Carbon Building - Desig...
05/14/2026

The təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre in New Westminster is Canada's first completed Zero Carbon Building - Design certified aquatic facility. The all‑electric, mass‑timber‑hybrid building is crowned by a sculptural sawtooth roof that brings soft daylight deep into the pools below.
Built with locally sourced CLT and glulam, the centre combines a 50‑metre lap pool, leisure pool, fitness spaces, and community amenities—designed for accessibility, wellness, and long‑term sustainability.

Photo credit: Nic Lehoux

hcma
City of New Westminster
Fast + Epp
Heatherbrae Builders
Kalesnikoff

The Chief Leonard George Building is a nine‑storey hybrid mass timber housing project in East Vancouver, delivering 81 n...
05/12/2026

The Chief Leonard George Building is a nine‑storey hybrid mass timber housing project in East Vancouver, delivering 81 non‑market homes and a childcare centre for the city’s urban First Nations community. Named in honour of Chief Leonard George, a respected leader of the Tsleil‑Waututh Nation, the project weaves cultural expression with prefabricated timber technology.

Targeting Passive House certification, the building uses prefabricated CLT panels and a hybrid timber‑steel‑concrete system to reduce construction time, waste, and embodied carbon—while creating welcoming, intergenerational spaces rooted in First Nations values of community and stewardship.

Photo credit: Take Off Photography

GBL Architects
BC Indigenous Housing Society
Fast + Epp
Ventana Construction Vancouver
GHL Consultants Ltd
Kalesnikoff
Intelligent City

05/08/2026

Reflecting on his panel discussion at BuildEx 2026, British Columbia’s Chief Forester celebrates how powerful it is to be in the same room as the architects, designers, and builders who use the wood he helps to sustainably manage.

Offsite construction is transforming the building industry by shifting key processes from job sites to controlled manufa...
04/28/2026

Offsite construction is transforming the building industry by shifting key processes from job sites to controlled manufacturing environments. This WoodWorks webinar explores how this approach can improve efficiency, quality and sustainability, while helping address challenges like labour shortages and project timelines.

Thursday May 7, 2026
10AM PST / 1PM EST

Register here: https://www.naturallywood.com/events/offsite-manufacturing/2026-05-07/

Photo credits:
Kalesnikoff mass timber facility | Matthew Bolt Photography
Kelowna Airport construction | Lipsett Photography Group

Canadian Wood Council

One week away! Make sure to register for this webinar on design tools from WoodWorks and Canadian Wood Council. Discover...
04/25/2026

One week away! Make sure to register for this webinar on design tools from WoodWorks and Canadian Wood Council.

Discover tools that help project teams:
🏗️ evaluate code-compliant opportunities for wood construction
🔊 determine fire-resistance ratings and sound transmission performance
🪵 assess mass timber exposure and encapsulation strategies

Friday May 1, 2026
10 AM PST / 1 PM EST

Click below to register.

04/22/2026

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