CLF Toronto Materials Series: Timber

Regulatory and policy initiatives are advancing towards net zero energy and net zero carbon for buildings.  Both are proving advantageous to wood.  At the same time, there are systemic changes occurring in the building sector including increased densification due to urbanization, technological advancements, energy and carbon performance, life cycle analysis, and productivity concerns affecting the construction trades globally. In addition to these changes, there are increasing expectations of our buildings. For example, our buildings should foster health and wellbeing, be infused with biophilic design, designed for deconstruction and the circular economy – all within the context of affordability.

While not all of these are regulatory, they are considerations that affect the design and construction sectors transformation towards a low carbon future.  Increasing the amount of wood used in construction is one of these low-carbon solutions.

Participants will:

1. Gain an understanding of the social, economic, regulatory and environmental underpinnings affecting Net Zero Construction
2. Learn about the various mass timber products and how they can contribute to lower carbon footprints for buildings – both embodied and operational
3. Understand how carbon and wood are linked, and the ongoing process of determining and reducing environmental impacts of its use
4. Understand the state of the mass timber industry in Canada and the growth of the industry required to have a meaningful effect on climate change.

Meet Our Speakers:

Peter Moonen, National Sustainability Manager, Canadian Wood Council

Peter is National Sustainability Manager for the Canadian Wood Council (CWC), a technical and knowledge transfer organization, which provides free technical support to designers, installers, contractors, building and fire officials, owners and regulators to build a strong wood culture in Canada through education, training and awareness.

He regularly presents on achieving greater sustainability, durability, the bio-economy, Low Carbon construction and the appropriate use of wood in Asia, Europe and throughout North America to design professionals, contractors, educators, regulators and building officials.

He is a member and session facilitator with the UN Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry, a member of the Team of Specialists of the UNECE Forestry and Timber section.

Nicholas Zeeb, Senior Design & Cost Consultant, Element5

Nicholas is a registered professional engineer with a structural engineering degree from Western University and honours business degree from the Ivey School of Business. At Element5, Nicholas is responsible for creating detailed cost estimates of mass timber projects and developing methods to drive down those budgets at all phases of design. Nicholas combines his experience in construction project management, cost estimating, and detailed engineering design with a passion for sustainability.