Mass Timber Being Used in Industrial Construction for the First Time in Sudbury, ON

Mass timber is being used in industrial construction in Sudbury, Ontario, for the first time, CBC reported (4-11-25). The use of mass timber for industrial and commercial purposes has been more common in Western Canada but is new to Sudbury.

Architect Patrick Danielson said the decision to use timber instead of steel was made a few years ago as the project got underway during COVID when steel prices soared. “Building with wood is very advantageous for us because we can source the material ourselves and the fluctuations of that availability and cost are more under our own control,” he added.

Danielson also promotes the use of mass timber as environmentally sound. “So, by using wood instead of steel or concrete, you actually can sequester carbon and pull it out of the environment. So, this building here is approximately equivalent to, I believe it was 50 cars off the road for a year, just by the switching materials.”

Darian Sweeney, who represents Bloomington Developments, said he appreciates the fact that the architect has built long-term sustainability into his building’s designs.