IT TAKES 6 MINUTES TO GROW WORLD'S TALLEST WOOD BUILDING!
Wood as a building material is experiencing a renaissance. Today’s architects and engineers are choosing wood and building tall wood buildings. Architectural publications are calling for the “beginning of the timber age” recognizing that “wood is taking over from steel and concrete as the architectural wonder material of the 21st century, with architects praising its sustainability, quality and speed of construction” (Dezeen Magazine, November 2015).
The forestry community is very proud that Canada currently holds the title for tallest wood building, with the completion of the student residence, Brock Commons, at the University of British Columbia. Remarkably, it takes only 6 minutes for US and Canadian forests to grow the wood used in Brock Commons. Projects such as the Toronto Public Library Scarborough Civic Centre Branch and the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Markets are recent examples of this philosophy. Sourcing this 21st century renewable material from our own backyard is an opportunity for Ontario’s foundational economy and our future generations.