Canadian Project
Québec
Les Pavillons du 49°:
CLT Modules, A Solution for Decarbonization
© Ulysse Lemerise
VALÉRIE LEVÉE
JOURNALIST FOR SCIENCE AND ARCHITECTURE
It only took four days to erect Les Pavillons du 49°, a four-storey, 20-unit apartment building in Chibougamau. This record time dropped to 2.5 days for the second pavilion. The rapid assembly was made possible by the modular CLT construction. This construction principle offers another advantage: It reduces the building’s operational and embodied carbon emissions.
The building consists of juxtaposed stacks of four modules, each resting on a foundation that follows their respective perimeters. Despite the higher quantities of concrete used in the system’s foundations, and the resulting GHG emissions, the GESTIMAT analysis revealed that, thanks to the CLT modules, the building’s embodied carbon would be 43% lower than it would have been under the concrete reference scenario. The comparison with a concrete reference building may seem questionable, since four-storey residential buildings can always be built using light-frame construction. The comparison between CLT and concrete becomes clear when considering acoustic performance, a significant issue in residential buildings. In addition, Les Pavillons du 49° served as a pilot project to demonstrate the feasibility of a modular solution for medium and high-rise residential buildings.
During the production and construction phase, the building and modules were designed according to standard 64-foot CLT panels to optimize materials and reduce waste, further limiting the embodied carbon. The modular construction tends to double the walls, thus demanding more material, but this doubling-up contributes to the acoustic quality by decoupling the partitions. “The need for additional gypsum and acoustical wool is reduced, thus saving on materials that involve a larger carbon footprint than wood,” said Marie De Guire of Nordic Structures. More material savings can be found in the CLT panels, left exposed without finishing. On site, rapid assembly reduces truck and hoisting emissions, which further lowers the embodied carbon.
« THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL GYPSUM AND ACOUSTICAL WOOL IS REDUCED, THUS SAVING ON MATERIALS THAT INVOLVE A LARGER CARBON FOOTPRINT THAN WOOD. »
MARIE DE GUIRE NORDIC STRUCTURES
CLT modules also help to reduce operational carbon emissions during the occupancy phase. Prefabrication, which ensures the quality of the assemblies, along with CLT, which provides continuity to the envelope, helps maximize watertightness in modules. “Energy efficiency and operational carbon issues stem from leaks in the building,” said Suresh Perera at Perch Architecture. “It is not a question of design, but of installation.” CLT also prevents deformation during transport to ensure the integrity of the module when arriving on site.
In theory, the modules will be recoverable at the building’s end-of-life prior to their reinstallation elsewhere to extend their lifespan, as Nordic already does with its forest camp modules.
Finally, CLT involves a considerable amount of biogenic carbon stored in the modules for the entire duration of their use.
LES PAVILLONS DU 49° INTERIOR VIEW
© Ulysse Lemerise
« ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND OPERATIONAL CARBON ISSUES STEM FROM LEAKS IN THE BUILDING. IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF DESIGN, BUT OF INSTALLATION.»
SURESH PERERA
PERCH ARCHITECTURE
Canadian Project
Ontario
The 80 Atlantic:
Project Tested Solid Wood and Achieved Best-In-Class Results
© BDP Quadrangle
LAWRENCE CREAGHAN
EDITOR
The experience helped define the processes involved in BDP Quadrangle’s carbon objectives, as well as those targeted by the City of Toronto. Quebec’s solid wood industry plays a role in this rapidly growing sector, and the project offers the province an opportunity to learn from Toronto’s efforts in municipal projects.
February 26, 2018, was a historic day for commercial real estate in Toronto. For the first time in almost a century, post-and-beam construction was used to construct a new office building. The method was common in Ontario until the 1920s, when wooden structural components were banned from commercial buildings over four storeys high for the somewhat banal reason that fire ladders could not reach that height. The project was initiated by the real estate investment and development company Hullmark, whose portfolio includes a number of older post-and-beam warehouses in the city’s Liberty Village district. Architectural firm BDP Quadrangle was commissioned for the project.
JAN SCHOTTE
BDP QUADRANGLE
BDP had already completed several adaptive reuse projects for Hullmark, including 60 Atlantic, located next door. The company’s president, Jeff Hull, hoped to reproduce the success of his existing properties with a modern design that combines the best features of old post-and-beam structures with the best features of new office buildings.His goal was to help fight climate change and create a superior product using the aesthetic differentiation that characterized his repurposed post-and-beam warehouses.
Not only did 80 Atlantic open its doors fully leased before receiving high praise for its carbon life cycle analysis, but it was also awarded the nation’s highest honour, the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture for Outstanding Design.
Cecobois (CB) interviewed Jan Schotte (JS), Senior Partner at BDP Quadrangle and solid wood expert, to better understand this groundbreaking project and what it can teach us.
80 ATLANTIC BUILDING INTERIOR
© BDP QUADRANGLE
CB: What went through your mind when you received the green light?
JS: Of course, we initially anticipated a conventional concrete structure. This would have enabled us to construct a taller building using a better-known method in the industry. But at this height, the project submission would have required a very lengthy municipal approval procedure. Somewhat fortuitously, Ontario’s Building Code at the time introduced an amendment authorizing solid wood construction for buildings with a top floor that does not go beyond 18 metres. In our case, this meant a five-storey office building that could comply with the city’s height limit without any special approval procedure. Building the 80 Atlantic project in solid wood would also be much faster than using concrete, and Hullmark was eager to become the first developer to build a solid wood project in the Greater Toronto Area.
CB: What are the constraints involved in solid wood construction?
JS: After decades of designing concrete structures, many of us had become accustomed to a process that gives structures almost any conceivable shape, assuming sufficient concrete and reinforcements. A solid wood construction, on the other hand, requires a more rigorous approach when calculating the maximum dimensions, along with the spacing of the various wood components.
CB: How did you improve your understanding of solid wood?
JS: We were lucky enough to have the local carpenters’ union as a partner, which helped us build a full-scale model at their training centre. Large-scale construction helped the design team solve problems and refine construction details. It also gave the union’s apprentices a chance to hone their knowledge and skills for future solid wood projects.
CB: How did the 80 Atlantic life cycle analysis work?
JB: The 80 Atlantic life cycle analysis determined that the building’s embodied carbon would be around 50% lower than it would have been with concrete alone.
CB: Has BDP used solid wood since 80 Atlantic opened in 2020?
JB: As part of our commitment to reduce carbon emissions, we continue to promote solid wood and are currently working on several projects at different stages of development. We also developed the habit of conducting life cycle analyses. We studied 46 of our projects to understand where the carbon effect was greatest. While the structure remains the main contributor, building envelopes account for 23% of the embodied carbon intensity on average–another challenge we intend to tackle.
CB: Does solid wood have a place in Toronto’s future?
JB: Toronto has been built on concrete for decades. But solid wood has quietly carved out an important place for itself in the construction industry. Thanks to the evolution of municipal embodied carbon standards, the potential of this material, and of Quebec’s involvement, is “solid”.
International Project United States
Bakers Place:
14-Storey Mixed-Use Solid Wood Multi-Family Project
© NEUTRAL
LAWRENCE CREAGHAN
EDITOR
The Bakers Place mixed-use multi-family project includes 206 luxury apartments and roughly 780 m2 (8,400 ft2) of commercial space with upscale common areas, including a library, a co-working area, and a fitness centre. It seamlessly integrates an old bakery that dates back to 1908 with a new 14-storey solid wood building, which is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2025. Its hybrid solid wood structure combines the strength of pre-tensioned concrete, a bracing core and structural steel columns, along with glulam beams and floors made of cross-laminated timber (CLT). This unique approach optimizes the project’s functionality while reducing embodied carbon by 42%, as compared to a traditional concrete building.
In its first two years of operation, Neutral built several small residential buildings while preparing its first high-rise project–the 14-storey, 206-unit Bakers Place in Madison, Wisconsin–until it was ready to acquire the land, obtain project approval, secure financing, and begin construction. The company also set itself more ambitious goals: The Edison, a 30-storey, 378-unit residential building in Milwaukee, which began construction in early 2025, along with The Marcus Center project, a 55-storey, 750-unit tower, also in Milwaukee, which is currently in the preliminary design phase and is slated to become the world’s tallest wood building.
Cecobois (CB) sat down with Nate Helbach (NH), Partner at Neutral, to learn more about the company’s remarkable success in such a short period of time.
CB: Why the iterative approach?
NH: Many have adopted a disruptive approach to traditional construction, but we opted for an iterative approach. The industrialization of construction component manufacturing is only viable when applied from the design stage onwards. Having optimized the design, we iterate the concept to achieve economies of scale across multiple projects. Ultimately, the approach makes it economically viable to use low-carbon construction products that are designed to be industrialized. With each project, we fine-tune our solutions through continuous iterations involving design, construction, the life cycle analysis (LCA), and energy performance.
At Neutral, innovation in construction means more than simply rethinking the process or space modularity. It also involves transforming these modular designs into reality, starting with traditional methods before gradually migrating to factory manufacturing. We design components that are easy to assemble in an industrial context, but we first produce them using proven, commonly used methods. As projects multiply and scale up, this approach helps us transition naturally to industrialization.
CB: Why Wisconsin?
NH: I’m originally from Middleton, Wisconsin, a suburb of Madison. The state set up a solid wood task force within the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Their goal is to work with the government, cities, and the private sector to promote the adoption of solid wood in Wisconsin.
One of the biggest risks for a developer using solid wood in high-rise buildings involves the need to invest in rigorous upstream design methods (like Quebec’s equivalent measurement of support), while paying designers and structural engineers despite the lack of any guarantee from local authorities. Bakers Place in Madison is the company’s inaugural project and the city’s very first solid wood tower. The project came about partly because the authorities were in favour of solid wood.
CB: Why solid wood?
NH: Which building components contribute most to embodied carbon? The number one component is the structure. Wood is the best structural material available with regard to total energy consumption, carbon emissions, and water use.
One of my favourite quotes comes from our architect, Michael Green: “Our buildings are built by the sun.” I love that idea. Our construction system uses solid wood because it sequesters carbon; it is one of the only materials that aligns with our mission to neutralize carbon emissions.
CB: Why individual investors?
NH: Beyond creating exceptional communities, Neutral wants to help individuals become part of the solution. We offer accredited investors an opportunity to play an active role in building a sustainable future. Investing with Neutral goes beyond financial returns; it provides an opportunity to contribute to an environmentally sustainable legacy.
The 160 accredited investors involved in Bakers Place invested between $25,000 and $1 million each, alongside our senior lenders. With an average internal rate of return equal to 14-17% and an exit multiple of 2.5, I think they made the right decision.
NATE HELBACH
NEUTRAL
BAKERS PLACE INTERIOR VIEW
© NEUTRAL
BAKERS PLACE INTERIOR VIEW
© NEUTRAL
International Projects
Sweden
World of Volvo:
Scandinavia’s Largest and Most Complex Wood Building
© Rasmus Hjortshøj)
LAWRENCE CREAGHAN
EDITOR
Austrian engineering and timber construction company WIEHAG described the World of Volvo as “the largest and most complex timber building in Scandinavia”. Wood was used to manufacture the glulam and cross-laminated timber for the main structure.
Henning Larsen won the World of Volvo competition in 2018 with a design that unites the Volvo Group brand with the Volvo Cars brand while integrating the history, tradition and future of the iconic Swedish manufacturing colossus into a single structure embodying its values and aspirations. The centre opened its doors to the public in April 2024.
According to Søren Øllgaard, Design Director at Henning Larsen, the project was “incredibly special” for the company. “With its deep connection to Scandinavia, from its landscapes to its architectural tradition, World of Volvo has given us the opportunity to explore the profound relationship between architecture and the natural environment,” said Mr. Øllgaard. Cecobois (CB) interviewed Martin Stenberg Ringnér (MSR), Associate Design Director at Henning Larsen, to gain a better understanding of the project.
« WITH ITS DEEP CONNECTION TO SCANDINAVIA, FROM ITS LANDSCAPES TO ITS ARCHITECTURAL TRADITION, WORLD OF VOLVO HAS GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE PROFOUND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.»
SØREN ØLLGAARD
HENNING LARSEN
MARTIN STENBERG RINGNÉR
HENNING LARSEN
« NOT LONG AGO, FEW COULD IMAGINE WORKING WITH WOOD AT THIS SCALE. IT’S SIMPLY INCREDIBLE THAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS, FROM THE FIRST SKETCHES, WHICH WERE ENTIRELY FREE-FORM AND STREAMLINED, RIGHT UP UNTIL THE MOMENT OF CONSTRUCTION.»
FABIA BAUMANN
HENNING LARSEN
CB: First things first. What was the winning idea?
MSR: Our goal was to give shape to something essential to the Swedish spirit. World of Volvo’s circular shape, the materiality of wood, its integration into the landscape and, fundamentally, its openness; all of these elements are part of a fundamental collective identity. World of Volvo is designed around the Swedish concept of Allemansrätten, which refers to a fundamental right to nature, or “freedom to roam,” sending an open invitation to the public.
CB: How did this big idea come about?
MSR: There’s a close link between materials and organic forms. We drew our structural inspiration from nature; the two go hand in hand, producing excellent results. The main wooden structure forms three striking, tree-trunk-like columns that fan out to support the entire roof load, enveloping visitors in a welcoming, forest-like canopy.
The three “tree trunks” are load-bearing and also provide the building with specific functions. One of these involves circulation, with access to each floor via glass elevators, reinforcing the building’s 360-degree experiential nature while allowing visitors to journey from the root of the “tree,” and from the landscape to the canopy. Each floor contains approximately 500 m2 of dark space for exhibitions, while the rest of the building is flooded with daylight.
The 51 slender peripheral columns also carry structural loads, supporting the roof beams and bearing the weight of the cantilever that extends 10 metres from the façade.
CB: What impact did the firm’s digital capabilities have on the all-natural approach?
MSR: Instead of using a standardized work flow, we developed our own digital work flow, incorporating our expertise in computational and parametric design. To achieve this, we had to create a script that aligned with the structural logic of the components, without neglecting the manufacturing process of the wooden joist components. This design flexibility helped us explore different options in an efficient and responsive manner.
The result is an optimized structure that respects the structural capacities of the materials involved while avoiding unnecessary materials. Here, structure and design become one; the structure is the design.
There’s a perception that wood only allows you to build “boxes”; indeed, the approach leaves us with an obvious lack of free-form or customized wood buildings. Until recently, people avoided the idea of working with wood, especially on a scale like World of Volvo.
