Research Project

Future Timber City: An Awareness and Educational Program for Future, Sustainable, Dense Cities

Project Start: August 2020
Project Completion: April 2023
Principal Investigators: Antony Wood, Will Miranda & Daniel Safarik, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Given the market trajectory of building materials for tall buildings, it is likely that mass timber will be a critical building component for cities of the near future. It is incumbent upon government and the leaders of the timber industry to accelerate research in this field. We seek to provide a framework for better understanding the character and dimensions of a future mass timber city, and help to make it a reality. This program supports the dissemination of best-practice information on the design, technologies, construction, and planning of mass timber buildings and larger timber communities—in addition to a thorough historical review on the topic through the creation of a full-length technical publication. These activities will also produce a short film that visually articulates the design possibilities of a full-fledged timber city to capture the imagination of the general public to the sustainable benefits of mass timber, as well as the building industry.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and CTBUH are equal opportunity employers and providers.

Funding Partners

Steering Committee Members

brian-brashaw Brian Brashaw
Assistant Director - Wood Innovations, USDA Forest Service
cees-de-jager Cees de Jager
Softwood Lumber Board, Chief Executive Officer, Think Wood
ryan-flom Ryan Flom
Softwood Lumber Board, Chief Marketing Officer, Think Wood
john-klein
John Klein
paul-kremer Paul Kremer
Research Fellow Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Melbourne
phil-mccormac Phil McCormac
Senior Director, Development and Capital Projects, Ivanhoe Cambridge
ricky-mclain Ricky McLain
Senior Technical Director, Tall Wood, WoodWorks
graham-montgomery
Graham Montgomery
Technical Director, TIMBERLAB, Swinerton
kevin-naranjo
Kevin Naranjo
Acting Wood Innovations Program Manager, USDA Forest Service
angelique-pilon Angelique Pilon
Director, Urban Innovation, University Sustainability Initiative, University of British Columbia
lisa-podesto Lisa Podesto
Senior Business Development Manager, Design Build Americas, Individuals
patrick-rappold
Patrick Rappold
Regional Wood Utilization Specialist, USDA Forest Service
timothee-rodrique Timothee Rodrique
Assistant Vice President, Staff Engineering Specialist, FM Global
rainer-strauch Rainer Strauch
Managing Director & CTO, CREE Buildings, CREE GmbH
milton-vicentelo Milton Vicentelo
International Operations Director, Rene Lagos Engineers
adrian-wang
Adrian Wang
Director, Innovation & Sustainability, Tridel
steven-ware Steven Ware
Architect, Partner, ArtBuild
kai-yang Kai Yang
Director of Digital Fabrication, CadMakers

Project Milestones

About the Funding Partners

USDA Forest Service

Mission Statement

To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.  

 

At the heart of our agency’s mission is our purpose—the ultimate answer to why we do what we do. Everything we do—across our broad and diverse agency—is intended to help sustain forests and grasslands for present and future generations. Why? Because our stewardship work supports nature in sustaining life. This is the purpose that drives our agency’s mission and motivates our work across the agency. It’s been there from our agency’s very beginning, and it still drives us.

 

To advance our mission and serve our purpose, we balance the short and long-term needs of people and nature by—

  • Working in collaboration with communities and our partners;
  • Providing access to resources and experiences that promote economic, ecological, and social vitality;
  • Connecting people to the land and one another; and
  • Delivering world-class science, technology, and land management.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and CTBUH are equal opportunity employers and providers.

 

This is our value: what the Forest Service uniquely has to offer.

 

Binational Softwood Lumber Council

The Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC) was established by the Canadian and U.S. Federal governments as part of the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement. The Council’s mandate, as outlined in annex 13 of the agreement, is “to promote increased cooperation between the U.S. and Canadian softwood lumber industries and to strengthen and expand the market for softwood lumber products in both countries.”

 

The BSLC benefits from the leadership and expertise of its 12-member board which consists of Canadian and U.S. senior industry representatives and stakeholders. The construct of this board is unique within the industry and offers an influential and powerful vehicle to establish strategic direction for market development programs, direct broad industry initiatives, and facilitate collaboration among organizations serving the North American softwood lumber industry.

 

Underpinning the BSLC’s efforts is a firm belief that the relationship between the Canadian and United States’ industries can only improve when the lumber market is sufficiently robust for both industries to first stabilize, and then to prosper. The BSLC also believes that this will only come about through increased demand for new and previous uses of lumber products.

 

Since its inception, the BSLC has actively supported initiatives by a variety of industry organizations that meet the mandate. Funds have been directed into programs in which immediate opportunities can be quickly exploited for a fast turnaround in identifiable demand.  Clear benefits have already been achieved for the North American softwood lumber industry as the result of some of these programs.

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