News in offsite construction

The Quebec provincial government announced last Thursday that it is awarding $7.5 million (CAD) in financial support to Chantiers Chibougamau to increase its mass timber production capacity at its Chibougamau facilities and modernize the management of its activities.

Dezeen has been running a series of articles about the use of wood and mass timber in building construction. In the accompanying article, Dezeen is featuring 11 upcoming buildings with mass timber structures from around the globe.

Mercer International announced that it has signed its first major mass timber project contract with a large consumer products retailer. The project is anticipated to consume four months of capacity at Mercer’s Spokane, Washington, facility on a single-shift basis in 2023.

The Softwood Lumber Board and the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Department jointly announced on Wednesday that the Forest Service’s second annual “Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon” is now open for proposals from eligible teams.

Adera Development, the Vancouver, BC-based homebuilder, is at the cutting edge of mass timber construction in the province. According to reporting by SiteNews, Adera recently surpassed the 500 mark on its commitment to deliver 1,000 mass timber homes in Metro Vancouver.

Jamestown, a design-focused real estate investment and management firm, announced the beginning of vertical construction on 619 Ponce, a four-story mass timber loft building located in Atlanta. The building is being constructed with locally grown Georgia timber.

Elementary school students in Kamloops, BC, will soon benefit from a modern new school. The BC provincial government has provided $65.3 million (CAD) for a new 485-seat elementary school. Mass timber will be used in the new school’s design, where appropriate.

Construction is underway on a new mass timber dining and operations center project on a 900-acre property at the University of Toronto’s Koffler Scientific Reserve, according to Daily Commercial News (2-21-23). The new center will include bunk rooms, classrooms and meeting space, and a common kitchen area.

Tokyo-based Sumitomo Forestry Co. announced on February 1st that it has jointly established three companies—Bywater SFC Holdings, Bywater SFC Management, and Bywater SFC Investments (collectively Bywater SFC)—with British real estate developer Bywater properties.

Hasslacher Group announced earlier in the week that it has acquired a 40% stake in Egoin Wood Group. Based in Spain, the Egoin Wood Group is an international timber industry company with a total production capacity of 22,000 m3 engineered timber products.