New Mass Timber Center at the University of Victoria to Open This Summer

The University of Victoria’s new National Center for Indigenous Law (NCIL), set to open this summer, features a mass timber design, the Journal of Commerce reported (4-9-25).

The structure’s footprint will be firmly rooted in Indigenous design, culture, and values. It will also combine innovative North American building concepts such as mass timber with the Indigenous values and environmental concerns.

A highly sophisticated moisture control system was developed for its mass timber construction. “We developed a moisture management plan based on our trade knowledge and working with consultants for the best strategy and protocols,” said senior project manager Thomas Oster.

“It was definitely not a straight-forward building,” he said. With many moving parts, the group relied upon BIM tools to identify any potential conflicts leading to delays in constructing the complicated hybrid mass timber and steel building structure.

The structure features a CLT roof on supported timbers, some of which were repurposed trees removed from the site. The sculptural cladding panels echo the silhouettes of Coast Salish canoes and paddles.