reThink Wood

Welcome to reThink Wood

With growing pressure to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment, building designers are increasingly being called upon to balance functionality and cost objectives with reduced environmental impact. Wood can help to achieve that balance.

Wood costs less than competitive materials—economically and environmentally—while delivering more in terms of its beauty, versatility and performance. It meets code requirements in a wide range of low- and mid-rise building types, and can be used as a low carbon alternative to steel, masonry and concrete in many applications. Innovative new technologies and building systems have enabled longer wood spans, taller walls and higher buildings, and continue to expand the possibilities for wood use in construction.

Wood is more than a building material; it’s a renewable and responsible choice.

Wood Costs Less

Wood products offer advantages in terms of material, construction and environmental costs.

Avalon Bay Communities, Anaheim, CA. Withee Malcolm Architects. Photograph by Arden Photography.

Innovative Design

Today's North American building codes coupled with advances in wood science and building technology have expanded the options for wood construction.

Mead Center for American Theater, Washington D.C. Photograph by Nic Lehoux courtesy of Bing Thom Architects.

Renewable Resource

Wood is the only major building material that grows naturally and is renewable.

The Vancouver Convention Centre, British Columbia, Canada. Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership Architects Designers Planners, Downs/Archambault & Partners and LMN Architects.

Educational Resources

Learn more about wood in building codes and innovative structural and finishing uses of wood in residential, commercial and institutional applications through accredited courses or a technical advisor.

Wood wave panels were designed to create a one-of-a-kind roof from pine beetle wood at Richmond Olympic Oval, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Architect: Cannon Design.

DESIGNING WOOD SCHOOLS

Case study 1

When it comes to designing an educational facility, architects and designers must balance the reality of limited financial resources with the desire to provide students with an exceptional learning environment that is warm and enriching.

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VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE

Case study 2

The Vancouver Convention Centre expansion is a 1.1 million sq. ft. project that achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed®) Platinum certification and was the broadcast centre for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

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WOOD PROVIDES SERENE SPACE FOR HERRINGTON RECOVERY CENTER

Case study 3

When patients arrive at the Herrington Recovery Center, Wisconsin, a residential facility for alcohol and chemical dependency treatment, their needs are pretty specific - privacy and confidentiality, safety and comfort. Mostly, however, they need a serene and spiritual environment.

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SIX-STOREY WOOD CONSTRUCTION IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Case study 4

In the past two years the government of British Columbia, Canada has implemented new policies designed to reduce the overall carbon footprint and environmental impact of construction projects in both the public and private sector.

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WOOD IN TRANSPORTATION

Case study 5

The introduction of the National Building Code of Canada in the 1940s institutionalized a separation between wood and other materials. However, the move to performance-based building codes is underway, and there are new wood products and building techniques whose dimensional stability and predictable performance...

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