There’s a growing global movement of designing buildings made from wood, inspired by aesthetics and performance, but also by necessity. Steel and concrete are our most dominant building materials, but their production is a huge contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.
Enter timber as the industry’s most promising solution. The renewable material offers versatility and beauty, along with incredible structural merit and cost savings. But its potential for architecture of all scales has yet to be fully explored.
Omar Gandhi, Michael Green and John Hemsworth are award-winning Canadian architects who have earned accolades for their work with wood. On May 18, they’ll join Azure editor Catherine Osborne at the inaugural Architect@Work Canada conference, in Toronto, for an engaging seminar about why wood is good, and the latest innovations in timber construction.
Omar Gandhi
Omar Gandhi runs two offices: one in Toronto, the other in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He founded his Maritime practice in 2010 and has since built numerous residential projects that expose the beauty and warmth of natural wood. One of his more recent houses, Rabbit Snare Gorge, is an AZ Award 2017 finalist for Best in Residential Architecture.
Michael Green
Michael Green is the founder of MGA in Vancouver. He is known globally for his research, leadership and advocacy in promoting the use of wood, especially in building tall towers. He lectures internationally on the subject, including his 2013 TED talk “Why We Should Build Wooden Skyscrapers.”
John Hemsworth
Based in Vancouver, BC, Hemsworth Architecture approaches sustainability more as a question than as a solution. His firm, established in 2012, has extensive experience in LEED Platinum and Passive House construction. He is the recipient of the 2016 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture for the design of the BC Passive House Factory in Pemberton.
This is the first time Architect@Work, an international event series that delivers exhibits and seminars tailored for architects and designers, is being held in Canada. In addition to the Wood is Good talk, visitors can attend lectures on professional issues including building code, leadership and social media best practices, in addition to checking out exhibitions and the latest products from a diverse group of manufacturers.
Register here (for free, using code 28100) for Architect@Work Canada, happening on May 17 and 18 at Toronto’s Enercare Centre. Azure’s ‘Wood is Good: Stellar innovations for a humble material’ talk happens on May 18, from 3 to 4 p.m. This lecture qualifies for one ConEd structured learning hour.