Mass Timber Today

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 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, 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 Teshima Resources 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, 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/

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 Profile Anne’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 Lowman Professor Robert Wright Connect with Rob Rob’s LinkedIn Rob’s Faculty Profile Rob’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. Dembo Craig Applegath Connect with Craig Craig’s LinkedIn Craig’s Professional Website Craig’s Podcast: The Twenty First Centiry Imperative Craig’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