This book aspires to spur British Columbians, our neighbours and trade partners to reach out to B.C.’s growing community of forest and timber experts to learn how they can build with wood.
Download your free digital copy at naturallywood.com/NWBC
British Columbia is North America’s largest producer of softwood, with more than 7,000 firms and 57,000 people working in the forest sector.
Between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains is British Columbia (B.C.), home to nearly 25 percent of the world’s temperate rainforest. Almost two-thirds of the westernmost province of Canada—55 million hectares—is forestland. This rugged, natural beauty contributes to a sense of place unique to British Columbians, and has given rise to innovative wood architecture throughout the province. Thanks to advancements in technology and mass-timber products, wood is being used in B.C. in new and sometimes unexpected ways to construct everything from tall timber towers to community and cultural facilities.
Within these pages, you’ll find more than 65 wood buildings that showcase a diverse range of building types throughout the province—each of them unique, and many groundbreaking. Meet the innovators, read their stories, and discover the lesser-known secrets behind their challenges and successes. Together, they tell British Columbia’s impressive story of cutting-edge wood products, technology, architecture, and design.
Photo credits: cover photo by KK Law. Interior photos, in order of appearance, Moresby Creative, Martin Knowles, Martin Knowles, James Dow / Patkau Architects, James Dow / Patkau Architects, Ema Peter Photography, Nic Lehoux.