Uncover the transformative power of wood in building and reshaping greener cities in Canada. We are proud to be part of the Canadian forest sector which is committed to the sustainable management and stewardship of the country’s public forests.
From the news article:
Cities across Canada are facing high demand to build, and to build fast. From housing to key infrastructure, the question is being asked about how we build faster while still delivering on sustainable and environmentally friendly design. The answer? Build with wood.
This historic building method is back, and in large part because Canada’s forests are a valuable asset in the fight against climate change, serving as critical carbon sinks. But as trees age, they begin to lose their ability to absorb carbon and become more susceptible to pests, disease and fire – natural disturbances that can release tremendous amounts of CO2 and other GHGs back into the atmosphere.
That’s why it’s critical to harness the full carbon capture potential of forests through sustainable forest management – something that Canada’s forest sector is a world-leader in. It includes carefully planning the future of forests, one element of which is selective harvesting. This allows the trees left behind to grow bigger and more resilient to pests, disease and fire, then replanting trees that absorb the most carbon while they are young and growing.
Trees that leave the forest continue to store carbon, and that’s where building with wood comes into play. In construction for example, wood products such as lumber and mass timber (made by layering laminated and compressed wood) keep carbon locked in for many years, moving the carbon capture potential of forests into cities.
And because Canada’s forest sector manages the country’s public forests sustainably and responsibly, this carbon capture potential can be maximized by building homes, bridges, shopping malls, schools – and others – with wood.
“Most of our new buildings are filled with petrochemicals,” says Kelly Alvarez Doran, co-founder of Ha/f Climate Design and a professor at the University of Toronto’s faculty of architecture, landscape and design. “In contrast, a century ago our buildings were made of stone, earth, wood, straw and hemp. It is exciting that we are now looking to these materials again.”
“These low-carbon materials have been removed from our buildings and from our construction supply chain systematically – and we need to systematically bring them back. How does a country covered in forests and fields have any excuse but to not have bio-based construction? Nearly every part of a building could be grown. We need to wean our buildings off petroleum quickly.”
Mass timber products like CLT, or cross-laminated timber, can replace large-span, concrete floor slabs. Glulam (glue-laminated timber) can replace concrete or steel beams. Wood fibre board and cellulose insulation can replace fossil-fuel derived insulations.
“One option is accelerating climate change, and then there’s wood and other bio-based materials, which could serve to mitigate it,” Doran explains.
Read the full article here: How building with wood is creating greener cities – The Globe and Mail