Episodes
-
Episode Summary
Jeff Ranson, Director of Responsible Development at Northcrest Developments, discusses his interest in sustainability and how mass timber fits into sustainable building design. He highlights the beauty and form of mass timber as a compelling aspect and its potential for creating good urban density. Ranson describes mass timber in relation to the development goals of the Downsview Airport Lands master plan, touching on sustainability, economic viability, and procurement methods. He discusses areas for innovation in mass timber construction and the importance of considering the environmental impacts of different building materials as a system. Ranson emphasizes the role of mass timber in addressing the housing crisis and the potential for hybrid structures and low carbon materials in the future.
In This Episode
Jeff joined Northcrest Developments to lead the Responsible Development strategy for the redevelopment of the 370-acre Downsview Airport Lands in Toronto. He brings two decades of experience with sustainability leadership positions at BOMA Toronto, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), Sustainable Buildings Canada, and Toronto 2030 District. He frequently advises on public policy including appointments to the City of Toronto Climate Advisory Group and the Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel (2017-2023).
He received his MDes and the President’s Award for Graduate Studies at OCADU for his work on developing market transformation roadmaps for low-carbon housing in Peru and holds an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University.
Connect with Jeff
LinkedIn
Northcrest Development
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
CWC Wood Design Awards - http://www.wooddesignandbuilding.com/publication/
Michael Green TED talk: The Natural Building Blocks of Sustainable Architecture: https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_green_the_natural_building_blocks_of_sustainable_architecture
The 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design by William Browning, Catherine Ryan, Joseph Clancy.: https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. -
Episode Summary
In this episode, Anne has a conversation with Jean-Marc Dubois, the Director of Business Development at Nordic in the United States. We delve into the significance of a business perspective within the mass timber sector. Jean-Marc shares insights from his unique vantage point at Nordic, shedding light on the company's distinctive stance in the mass timber industry and the demand for value-added products. The discussion spans topics such as innovation in mass timber design and engineering, considerations of sustainability and wood sourcing. Jean-Marc also explores the potential advantages of mass timber for rural and Indigenous communities, examining both the opportunities and challenges in mass timber construction, particularly its viability for mid-rise housing. I trust you'll find this episode insightful and enjoyable.
In This Episode
Jean-Marc is the Director of Business Development for Nordic Structures, the building systems division of Canadian lumber manufacturer Chantiers Chibougamau. His career spans 44 years in the building products industry with regional, national and international corporations, focusing on value-added, engineered wood and Mass Timber products. Jean-Marc's penchant for delivering customer solutions through value engineering and process optimization led him to join the structures division of Nordic Structures, collaborating with clients, architects, engineers, designers and builders to provide sustainable built Mass Timber solutions across North America.
Jean-Marc is passionate advocate for sustainability, serving on a number of industry councils; he is a founding member of Timber Edge, an advocacy group dedicated to increasing urban Mass Timber utilization, was a founding board member of the International Mass Timber Alliance, and also serves on the American Wood Council’s Green Building Committee and APA: the Engineered Wood Association’s MAC Committee. He has been a keynote speaker at Holzbau and Woodrise Congress, and a guest lecturer at universities as well as architectural, engineering, and sustainability conferences across North America, Scandinavia and Japan
Connect with Jean-Marc
LinkedIn
Nordic Structure
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
Alan Organschi - Carbon Positive City : https://www.hewv.com/knowledge/vdm-recap-alan-organschi/82
Larch Lab: Mike Eliason: https://www.larchlab.co -
Missing episodes?
-
Episode Summary
Throughout this conversation, Eladia discusses her work in the mass timber sector and highlights the importance of Indigenous design principles. She shares her experience with mass timber projects and highlights how mass timber can tie in with traditional Indigenous building methods. Putting emphasis on the need to bring meaning and cultural awareness into buildings, she discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in teaching Indigenous architecture in universities. Eladia also discusses the potential for Indigenous leadership in forest stewardship and mass timber manufacturing.
In This Episode
KaaSheGaaBaaWeak | Eladia Smoke is Anishinaabekwe from Obishikokaang | Lac Seul First Nation, with family roots in Alderville First Nation, Winnipeg, and Toronto. Eladia has worked in architecture since 2002, and founded Smoke Architecture as principal architect in 2014. She is the first Anishinabekwe architect in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, as well as the third Indigenous woman licensed as an architect in Canada. She taught as a Master Lecturer at Laurentian’s McEwen School of Architecture from 2016 to 2022. She serves as a founding member of RAIC’s Indigenous Task Force. Eladia represented Canada at the 2018 Venice Biennale Unceded exhibition as part of an international team of Indigenous designers and architects. Current professional work includes community-based and institutional projects working alongside Indigenous stakeholders, collaborating with First Nation communities, and listening closely to our Elders.
Connect with Eladia
LinkedIn
Eladia at Smoke Architecture
Smoke Architecture
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
On the Topic of Relationships:
The Mishomis Book by Edward Benton-Banai: https://www.whetung.com/products/mishomi-by-edward-benton-banai-best-seller
And Grandma Said by Tom Sakokwenionkwas Porter: https://goodminds.com/products/9781436335652
Anishinaabe Ways of Knowing and Being by Dr. Lawrence W. Gross: https://www.routledge.com/Anishinaabe-Ways-of-Knowing-and-Being/Gross/p/book/9781138247482
Resources for Architects:
The Handbook of Contemporary Indigenous Architecture: https://search.worldcat.org/title/1085698142
Our Voices (both #1, and #2): https://oroeditions.com/product/our-voices
Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. -
Episode Summary
In this episode, Craig Applegath speaks with Robert Schmitz, who is a partner at White Arkitekter based in Stockholm, Sweden. In this episode, they delve into the embodied carbon advantages of mass timber, exploring how the growing mass timber industry can contribute to reducing environmental impacts across different sectors. They also examine the crucial role timber-focused architects play in driving the adoption of mass timber and gain insights from Robert's Scandinavian perspective on the specific challenges and opportunities associated with building using this sustainable material.
In This Episode
Robert Schmitz (*1979, Stockholm) is an award-winning architect and one of White Architect’s leading partners. He has steered several of the company’s flagship projects from competition to completion with a special focus on designing public, civic and cultural buildings that encourage a sense of belonging. He is an award winning, modern-day pioneer of timber design and construction and the lead architect of the internationally awarded Sara Cultural Centre, the world’s largest, carbon negative timber building. Robert is director of the Stockholm competitions team, while providing strategic input into the management of the Stockholm studio. Furthermore, he takes part in international Architectural juries and is a highly appreciated keynote speaker worldwide.
Connect with Robert Schmitz:
• LinkedIn
• White Arkitekter
Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:
Timber and Architecture by Shigeru Ban: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/712536/shigeru-ban-timber-in-architecture-by-shigeru-ban/9780847872220 Solid Wood by Joseph Mayo: https://www.routledge.com/Solid-Wood-Case-Studies-in-Mass-Timber-Architecture-Technology-and-Design/Mayo/p/book/9780415725309 Detail's, Multistory Timber construction (Robert has a contribution.): https://issuu.com/detail-magazine/docs/978-3-95553-394-6_bk_multi-storey_tThe Mass Timber Institute
Website: https://academic.daniels.utoronto.ca/masstimberinstitute/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masstimberinstitute/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildinginwood?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/masstimberinstitute
Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.
-
Episode Summary
In this episode, Anne Koven interviews Carol Phillips, who has extensive experience in designing with various construction materials, with a particular focus on mass timber. They explore the potential environmental impacts of increased mass timber adoption, including the effects on forests. Carol also shares insights from her work on the George Brown's Limberlost Place project, discussing its inspiration and the multifaceted role an architect plays in managing innovative projects like Limberlost Place. Additionally, they delve into the evolving landscape of the architectural profession, driven by shifting paradigms and emerging technologies. The conversation highlights the significance of sustainability in mass timber construction and the profound human connection to wood, along with the environmental benefits it offers. Last but certainly not least; the involvement of Indigenous communities in construction and resource utilization and management is also discussed.
In This Episode
Carol is a Partner with the renowned architecture firm Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA) known for remarkable, innovative Canadian and international projects. Carol is Design Leader for MTA’s most ambitious low carbon projects. A Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Carol’s inspired designs have received international awards and are distinguished by the spare but assertive use of materials that bring identity and grace to communities. Her practice is increasingly focused on low carbon and timber in the search for ways the construction industry can contribute better solutions to the climate crisis. Along with her built work, Carol provides service to the architectural community through teaching at the University of Toronto, lecturing internationally, acting as a juror for design awards, and sitting on various design review panels.
Connect with Carol Phillips:
LinkedIn Carol at Moriyama TeshimaResources Mentioned in this Episode:
FPAC Documentary: Capturing carbon: https://www.fpac.ca/posts/canadian-forestry-documentary-capturing-carbon-to-be-featured-at-united-nations-cop27-conference Constructing Health by Tye Farrow: https://www.fpac.ca/posts/canadian-forestry-documentary-capturing-carbon-to-be-featured-at-united-nations-cop27-conference - Coming Soon Canadian Wood Council Primers: https://cwc.ca/ Eli Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-gould-4b956935 from Offsite Wood (https://offsitewood.org/) Moriyama Teshima Architects: https://mtarch.com/Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.
-
Episode Summary
In this episode, Craig Applegath speaks with Mark Gaglione, Co-Director of Construction Sciences at EllisDon Construction and a proponent of sustainable mass timber. They discuss the environmental impact of mass timber, strategies to enhance the cost-effectiveness of mass timber construction, and the current challenges hindering the widespread adoption of mass timber, particularly in Canada.
In This Episode
Initially trained as an engineer, Mark Gaglione spent the early part of his career in private real estate development. Now with EllisDon, Mark leads the Building and Material Sciences team where he is focused on accelerating the adoption of emerging construction technologies and supporting construction operations nationally. Mark has played a central role in the proliferation of mass timber within EllisDon and is passionate about low-carbon building solutions.
Connect with Mark
- LinkedIn
- Mark at EllisDon
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Construction Physics - Table of Contents is a great place to start: https://constructionphysics.substack.com/p/construction-physics-table-of-contents FP innovations CLT handbook: https://web.fpinnovations.ca/clt/ Ricky McLain: https://www.youtube.com/@MassTimberHowTos -
Episode Summary: In this episode, our guest is Dr. Jeremy Williams. Jeremy earned a B.Sc.F. from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Forest Economics from the same institute in 1986. In between the two degrees, he worked with the Sabah (Malaysia) Forest Department as a CUSO volunteer and then later as a consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Jeremy has consulted since 1987, and the majority of his experience is grounded in the forest sector. Early areas of specialization included wood supply analysis and forest modeling, developing and assessing criteria and indicators of sustainable development, and sectoral analysis work. Starting in 1999, Jeremy began to undertake forest sustainability and compliance audits in forests across Ontario (these generally range from 500,000 – 1.5 million ha). He has undertaken approximately 50 of these audits, more than half as the lead auditor. Jeremy has also been active with the Forest Stewardship Council, serving as a technical writer for the Canadian National Boreal Standard, leading part of the centralized national risk assessment for controlled wood in Canada, and most recently studying the impact of Intact Forest Landscape protection. I have also become an FSC auditor, and have participated in approximately 12 assessments and numerous annual audits.
Jeremy has been in the carbon space since 1999, when he undertook a series of projects for the federal government looking at afforestation and reforestation prospects in Canada. He has been involved in the development of three forest carbon protocols, developed project description documents for afforestation projects, been a verifier, and undertaken reviews and analyses of different forest carbon protocols and risks of reversal. Jeremy also conducted an expert review of the British Dept of Energy and Climate Change’s biomass research.
In addition to his work in the forest carbon space, Jeremy has undertaken studies of the carbon associated with grasslands, completed a carbon footprint analysis for a company that manufactures picture frames, analyzed GHG data for a quarrying operation, and completed a carbon accounting for a major cannabis producer.
Jeremy has also worked with and advised many First Nations and the Métis Nation of Ontario, for whom he is an advisor and assists with various projects, including mentoring new staff. For ten years, Jeremy served on the Board of Directors of the Silver Taiga Foundation, which managed the model forest program for the Komi Model Forest, in Russia. Between 2009 and 2014, he was chair of the Board.Finally, for the last several years, Jeremy has been a core team member for the Sustainable Biomass Program’s Regional Risk Assessments from British Columbia, New Brunswick, and most recently, Nova Scotia. Jeremy also led the preparation of a Catchment Area Analysis for two pellet mills in Burns Lake and Houston, B.C.In this episode, our host, Anne Koven speaks with Dr. Jeremy Williams. Jeremy is a Registered Professional Forester with the province of Ontario in Canada. He is also the president of Arborvitae Environmental Services providing clients with services related to carbon offsets, verification, forest management planning, forest economics, auditing and consulting. Here, Anne and Jeremy delve into the sourcing aspect of mass timber to help builders and architects understand where their wood is coming from and how to ensure it is coming from a sustainable source. They also touch on biogenic carbon and its implications in sustainable construction with the climate crisis always in mind. Connect with Jeremy: LinkedIn
-
Episode Summary:
In this episode, our guest is Patrick Crabbe. Patrick is the Director of Mass Timber at Bird Construction – Bird is a publicly traded, commercial and industrial conglomerate, recognized as a top 5 General Contractor (GC) in Canada.
Patrick is also the leader of a Mass Timber Manufacturing start-up, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. MTC is a sawmill integrated, glulam focused entity, that is currently executing a $2.3M feasibility effort to code approve proprietary high performing mass timber products (made from undervalued-commodity maritime spruce, pine and fir) that will expand the needed capacity of North American mass timber products and positively impact sustainable forestry practises.
Patrick’s professional career has been dedicated to developing markets for high-value structural wood products and working with industry to facilitate the manufacturing of mass timber. Through this experience, Patrick has a comprehensive understanding of construction contract methods supply chain solutions to set-up large, complex, mass timber build programs for success.
Patrick is an active member of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (led by the World Bank) and a trusted advisor to Infrastructure British Columbia and the Canadian Wood Council.
Connect with Patrick:
LinkedIn Bird ConstructionResources:
Canadian Interactive Mass Timber Map https://nrcan-rncan.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/041e338d2a4d4b3a82ff2c238a9f0f93 FEA Mass Timber Market Report (July 2022) – subscription only https://getfea.com/publication/global-mass-timber-panel-service RBC Imagine 2025 - https://www.rbccm.com/en/insights/imagine.page Timber Bay Tool https://www.fastepp.com/concept-lab/apps/timber-bay-design-tool/ -
Episode Summary:
In this episode, Craig Applegath has a conversation with Franco Piva. Franco is known as the Italian Timber Engineer and Founder of engineering company Ergodomus. His focus lies in sustainable timber projects around the world. Craig and Franco discuss the sustainability of mass timber as well as key challenges currently preventing the global adoption of mass timber. They also cover mass timber innovations Franco sees in his work, and the role that architects and engineers play in design for manufacture and assembly.
Connect with Franco:
Linkedin ErgodomusMore by Franco Piva:
10 Reasons To Build With Mass Timber | by Craig Applegath | -
Episode Summary:
In this episode, our host, Anne Koven speaks with Lacey Rose with the County of Renfrew in Ontario, Canada. Lacey is a Registered Professional Forester with the province of Ontario. In this episode, we investigate where the wood used in mass timber comes from in Canada, and how Lacey plays a part in ensuring this wood supply is sustainable, and what sustainable forestry really means. This conversation will really help builders and architects contextualize the origins of the wood they use.
About Lacey
Lacey’s work experience has ranged from field work in the Boreal forest, to writing a forest management plan for 250,000 hectares of Crown forest in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence forest, to now the hands-on management of the Renfrew County Forest, as the County Forester. In 2019, Lacey was the recipient of the James M. Kitz Award from the Canadian Institute of Forestry and the Forest Sector Champion Award from the Ontario Forest Industry Association. In 2017, she received the John H. Sellers Award from the Ontario Professional Foresters Association.
Outside of these roles, Lacey is the Co-Founder of Women in Wood, a network for women who work with, in and for the woods, and the host of the web-series “Mighty Jobs”. When she’s not working in the forest, she’s usually still talking about or hanging out in forests!
In this podcast episode, we discuss forest sustainability as it applies to the supply of mass timber to answer questions architects and builders might have such as "How do I know the wood I am getting is sustainable?", and "what is involved in the process of sustainable forest management?". Lacey also addresses important connections between mass timber, forestry, and climate change.
Connect with Lacey:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lacey-rose Women in Wood: https://www.womeninwood.ca/Podcast Page: https://academic.daniels.utoronto.ca/masstimberinstitute/the-mass-timber-today-podcast/
-
Episode Summary:
In this episode, Anne Koven speaks with Alan Organschi. Alan is a Design Principal and partner at Gray Organschi Architecture in New Haven, Connecticut that is recognized internationally for its integration of design, construction, and environmental research. He is also the Director of the Innovation Lab at Bauhaus Erde. Anne and Alan discuss his current work at Bauhaus Erde as well as his work at Gray Organschi architecture. Alan informs us about how we need to work to design buildings for a circular economy of mass timber that is separate from an extractive industry. They also delve into his work that exposes him to communities holding essential knowledge about forest resources they live with and their role in the use of these materials. Additionally, he touches on carbon storage in mass timber buildings and ways we can improve the cost effectiveness of mass timber construction.
You can read Alan's full professional profile here on his website: https://grayorganschi.com/
Alan's Recommended Resources:
Alan's Book | Carbon: A Field Manual for Building Designers: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Carbon%3A+A+Field+Manual+for+Building+Designers-p-9781119720768 Detail Magazine's Timber Manual: https://www.detail.de/en/de_en/ Timber and Forestry Books at Routeledge: https://www.routledge.com/Alan's Websites:
Bauhaus Earth: https://www.bauhauserde.org/ Gray Organschi Architecture: https://grayorganschi.com/ -
About Mass Timber Today
The Mass Timber Today Podcast was created by the Mass Timber Institute at the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. This podcast series will explore the opportunities and challenges of sustainable mass timber construction. You can expect one on one interviews conducted by our hosts, Dr.Anne Koven and Craig Applegath. Anne is a professor at the University of Toronto, an Honourary Registered Professional Forester and Director of the Mass Timber Institute, and Craig Applegath is the Founding Partner of DIALOG. Anne and Craig will sit down with our guests to explore their insights about mass timber technology. The podcast aims to be a platform for a conversation amongst foresters, architects, engineers, builders, Indigenous community members, and developers.
Episode Summary
This is the first episode of the Mass Timber Today series. Craig Applegath, Principal of DIALOG sits down with the two founders of the Mass Timber Institute at the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design; Professor Robert Wright, and Dr. Anne Koven. In this episode, the three discuss the inception and intent of the Mass Timber Institute, as well as what listeners can expect from the Mass Timber Today Podcast series.
In This Episode
Dr. Anne Koven
Connect with Anne
Anne’s LinkedIn Anne’s Faculty ProfileAnne’s Recommended Resources
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard Mass Timber Building Science Primer by Ted Kesik Places of Production: Forest and Factory by Robert Wright The Arbornaut by Dr. Margaret LowmanProfessor Robert Wright
Connect with Rob
Rob’s LinkedIn Rob’s Faculty ProfileRob’s Recommended Resources
Braiding Sweetgrass – Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer Gratitude by Oliver Sacks Risk Thinking…in an Uncertain World by Ron S. DemboCraig Applegath
Connect with Craig
Craig’s LinkedIn Craig’s Professional Website Craig’s Podcast: The Twenty First Centiry ImperativeCraig’s Recommended Resources
A Trillion Trees – Restoring Our Forests by Trusting in Nature by Fred Pearce Islands of Abandonment – Nature Rebounding in the Post Human Landscape by Cal Flyn -
About Mass Timber Today
The Mass Timber Today Podcast was created by the Mass Timber Institute at the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. This podcast series will explore the opportunities and challenges of sustainable mass timber construction. You can expect one on one interviews conducted by our hosts, Dr.Anne Koven and Craig Applegath. Anne is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto's Daniels Faculty, an Honourary Registered Professional Forester and Director of the Mass Timber Institute, and Craig Applegath is the Founding Partner of DIALOG. Anne and Craig will sit down with our guests to explore their insights about mass timber technology. The podcast aims to be a platform for a conversation amongst foresters, architects, engineers, builders, Indigenous community members, and developers.
Episode Summary
In this trailer, Shan Shukla, Research Coordinator at the Mass Timber Institute (MTI) takes a minute to introduce the Institute's newest project: The Mass Timber Today Podcast. Shan touches on what listeners can expect from the podcast in the future, and some goals the Institute hopes the podcast will help it achieve.
Connect with Shan
LinkedInShan's Recommended Resources:
Educational Module about Forestry in Canada created by the MTI The Overstory by Richard Powers Factfulness by Han Rosling
