May 22 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Kindred Construction – 1486 East Pender, Vancouver
Mass timber offers significant promise for sustainable construction in the built environment, but challenges remain in scaling its use, particularly in the early stages of project development. This Timber Tech Connect session focuses on the preconstruction phase, where the foundations of a successful mass timber project are laid. Through a panel discussion featuring professionals from architecture, development, and construction management, the session explores how to navigate the intersecting demands of design, budget, and constructability. Presenters will share firsthand insights from ongoing projects—including Catalyst 2, Res One, 981 Davie, and Vienna House—and offer strategies to overcome regulatory, logistical, and financial hurdles.
The transition to mass timber construction requires more than technical know-how—it demands new forms of collaboration, planning, and investment. By spotlighting real-world examples and cross-sector perspectives, this event aims to help professionals make informed decisions that support project feasibility and long-term impact. Whether you’re just beginning to explore mass timber or are already working on complex builds, this session provides practical knowledge and scalable strategies that can help move the industry forward.
In British Columbia, mass timber and prefabrication represent more than construction innovations—they’re a vital pathway toward a higher-value wood economy. Realizing this potential requires coordination across the value chain—from architects and developers to fabricators, manufacturers, and foresters. By increasing the use of second- and third-growth local fibre and generating skilled jobs across disciplines, mass timber can directly contribute to revitalizing BC’s forest sector. Its impact reaches beyond housing and carbon reduction, offering a practical strategy for strengthening regional industries and supporting a more integrated forest economy.
Presenters
Alejandro Coronado
Technical Advisor – Wood Works BC
Structural systems, scaling up, and early supplier engagement
Roy Lee
Associate Director – BTY
Budgeting and cost-benefit analysis of mass timber
Rhys Leitch
Principle – Integra Architecture
Architect’s perspective on design considerations for mass timber
Carlos Zavarce
Director of Development, Squamish – Matthews West
Developer’s perspective on budgeting, cost management, and project viability
Sean Binns & Kenny Dempsey
Project Directors – Kindred Construction
Construction management insights from both market and non-market housing projects
Food and Drinks will be provided at the event.
About Timber Tech Connect
Timber Tech Connect is a curated event series focused on innovation in timber design and construction. Led by The Wood Innovation Group (TWIG) in collaboration with CAWP, Naturally:wood, and industry partners, the series brings together professionals across architecture, engineering, development, and construction to explore the evolving potential of mass timber and prefabrication. Through panel discussions, project showcases, and applied case studies, each session offers an opportunity to build cross-disciplinary knowledge and connect with the individuals shaping BC’s wood-based future.
Key Themes Include:
Our goal is to establish a consistent platform for professional exchange—one that accelerates learning, fosters collaboration, and helps advance the adoption of timber-based solutions across BC and beyond. A core focus of these events is to spotlight the people and projects supported by the Mass Timber Demonstration Program (MTDP)—an initiative that funds and promotes innovation in BC’s timber construction landscape.
Since 2020, the Province of British Columbia and Forestry Innovation Investment have invested over $9.1 million through MTDP to support the design and construction of 19 building projects and 8 research initiatives that push the boundaries of what’s possible with mass timber systems. Timber Tech Connect is proud to contribute to this mission by transforming emerging insights into actionable knowledge for industry practitioners.
Connecting people to inspire innovation in wood since 2012.
TWIG operates on the unceded territories of the Indigenous Peoples who have lived in deep relationship with the lands and forests we now call British Columbia since time immemorial. We recognize and honour the enduring stewardship, knowledge, and cultures of these Nations—whose care over generations shaped the very forests that gave rise to BC’s forestry industry. We also acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the near-erasure of many old-growth ecosystems and the displacement of Indigenous communities and cultural practices connected to these ancient forests.
As we work to shape the future of BC’s forest products industry, we are committed to pathways that integrate Indigenous perspectives, support cultural resurgence, and foster a renewed relationship to land, materials, and community—one grounded in respect, regeneration, and transformative change.
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