The Canadian government is investing over $1.5 million in British Columbia to support three projects advancing prefabricated wood construction technologies. The funding, announced by Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, aims to promote Canadian wood in construction and drive sustainable innovation in the forestry and construction sectors.
The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is receiving $995,000 to build the Robert Bosa Carpentry Pavilion, a two-storey mass timber structure featuring glulam columns, beams, and cross-laminated timber components. This zero-carbon, passive house, and LEED Gold-certified building will support specialized programs in mass timber and hybrid construction.
The Prefab Buildings Initiative is receiving $300,000 to develop energy-efficient mass timber building designs. This project will host a design workshop to finalize building prototypes for rapid prefabrication across Canada. The initiative will focus on multi-unit housing models such as hotels, apartment retrofits, and seniors’ residences.
Scius Advisory is receiving $219,870 to create an online directory of prefabricated construction companies in Canada. The project will develop an interactive map to improve industry awareness of available green construction materials and technologies.
Since 2017, the Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) program has invested $14.7 million in nine projects across British Columbia and supported 35 initiatives nationwide to expand wood construction. GCWood aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, encourage innovative building technologies, and improve building codes to allow taller wood structures.
