5 August 2025
The most striking aspect of the building is the quantity of exposed wood that is visible throughout. There was no limit to the amount of timber that is left exposed as it is all typically treated with fire-retardant products, so the design team opted for roughly 50% of the structure to be exposed. This is complemented by wood wall and ceiling finishes, stair guards, and accents throughout. There is no mistaking that this building is a showcase for the versatility of wood construction.
There are numerous sustainability features of the building that are innovative for Toronto. The east and west facades have what are referred to as solar chimneys, an air space between two glass walls with vents at the top and bottom that control air flow. The air within the solar chimney is heated by the sun creating an upward draft through the chimney, which, when the chimneys are opened, can be used to draw air through the building and facilitate natural ventilation.
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WoodWorks Issue – 05 Aug 2025
Welcome
Greetings for another ’Timber-Tuesday’ from your WoodWorks team. We begin this week’s insights in Punakaiki on the west coast of the South Island. The efficient prefabricated nature of using mass timber made it ideal for the remote but busy visitor centre. Adding to that, the versatility of timber suited the structural resilience required for this high-wind coastal area.
Moving to the Middle East where the glulam experts from Red Stag TimberLab have made a 92m span bridge in Qatar. This was a job that required precision of the fabrication so site adjustments were not necessary.
Limberlost Place, an institutional timber tower from Toronto showcases exposed timber and natural ventilation by using a solar chimney. From British Columbia see the Fraser Mills Presentation Centre’s sweeping, free flowing roof form supported by cantilevered columns. Lastly we examine the tallest mass timber residential structure in Toronto, could this affordable housing be the solution for New Zealand?
Finally this week, we are pleased to announce the full conference programme for our national WoodWorks Conference on 4-5 November. Check out our speakers and site visit plan for the afternoon of Day 2 of the conference. In coming weeks we will feature speaker and case study previews. We look forward to seeing you there!
5 August 2025
Punakaiki’s Dolomite Point Visitor Centre
The Dolomite Point Visitor Centre isn’t just a striking build in a stunning location, it’s a benchmark for how engineered timber can meet sustainability goals and deliver in remote, challenging...
5 August 2025
92m Span Timber Bridge
Red Stag TimberLab (RSTL) was engaged to design, manufacture and deliver the structural timber components for a striking 92-metre span glulam bridge; commissioned by the local authority in Doha, Qatar....
5 August 2025
Limberlost Place: Inside Canada’s First Institutional Mass Timber Tower
The most striking aspect of the building is the quantity of exposed wood that is visible throughout. There was no limit to the amount of timber that is left exposed...
5 August 2025
A Swooping Roof and Cantilevered Timber Columns
STRUCTURE Magazine features the Fraser Mills Presentation Centre – an exhibition of timber engineering locally in Coquitlam, designed and built in collaboration with Patkau Architects and Beedie. This unique project...
5 August 2025
Tallest mass timber residential structure in Toronto
While this may seem irrelevant as Toronto has no earthquake requirements in tall building design, it is an example of low-cost construction for affordable housing which IS relevant to New...