WoodRise 2025 Tours

Disclaimer:

Please note that some destinations are currently being confirmed and will be added to the lineup as soon as details are finalized. We reserve the right to modify or change some destinations due to unforeseen circumstances or changes during the course of construction. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to deliver the best possible experience.

Date: Monday, September 22, 2025 (1-4:30 pm)

Location: Vancouver (East)

Description:

Join us for an immersive journey through Vancouver City’s vibrant east end, where innovation meets sustainability in mass timber construction. This exclusive tour will take you inside some of the most striking and forward-thinking mass timber buildings, highlighting their architectural beauty, structural ingenuity, and environmental benefits. Discover firsthand how this renewable material is shaping the future of urban development and redefining modern design.

Destinations:

On5

Named for its location near the intersection of Ontario Street and East Fifth Avenue in Vancouver, this innovative four-storey project demonstrates what is possible with mass timber construction including new approaches to insulative cross-laminated timber (CLT) assemblies and damage-resistant seismic design.

The Hive

The bold design of this 10-storey tall wood office building in Vancouver’s emerging False Creek Flats neighbourhood features a honeycomb-shaped exterior, an expression of the mass timber building’s unique perimeter-braced seismic system.

PNE Amphitheatre

Currently under construction, the PNE’s new amphitheater will feature a precedent-setting starburst mass timber arch roof. Once complete, it will be one of the largest free-span timber roof structures in the world, reinterpreting traditional concrete shell typologies to harness the compression and carbon-sequestering capacity of mass timber, spanning more than 340 feet. The design incorporates 60 arches arranged in six barrel-vaulted segments that intersect at diagonal planes, forming 80-foot-high arcs that perfectly frame the picturesque North Shore Mountains for which Vancouver is known. Following the gentle slope of nearby Windermere Hill, the roof structure will settle into the landscape on three points, creating an intimate atmosphere beneath its warm wooden canopy.

Duration: 3.5 hrs

Start Time: 1pm

Number of participants: 20

Cost: $49 CAD

Included: Transportation

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (9:00am-4:30 pm)

Location: Vancouver (East)

Description:
Join us for an immersive journey through Vancouver City’s vibrant east end, where innovation meets sustainability in mass timber construction. This exclusive tour will take you inside some of the most striking and forward-thinking mass timber buildings, highlighting their architectural beauty, structural ingenuity, and environmental benefits. Discover firsthand how this renewable material is shaping the future of urban development while redefining modern design.

Destinations:

PNE Amphitheatre

Currently under construction, the PNE’s new amphitheatre will feature a precedent-setting starburst mass timber arch roof. Once complete, it will be one of the largest free-span timber roof structures in the world, reinterpreting traditional concrete shell typologies to harness the compression and carbon-sequestering capacity of mass timber, spanning more than 340 feet. The design incorporates 60 arches arranged in six barrel-vaulted segments that intersect at diagonal planes, forming 80-foot-high arcs that perfectly frame the picturesque North Shore Mountains for which Vancouver is known. Following the gentle slope of nearby Windermere Hill, the roof structure will settle into the landscape on three points, creating an intimate atmosphere beneath its warm wooden canopy.

On5

Named for its location near the intersection of Ontario Street and East Fifth Avenue in Vancouver, this innovative four-storey project demonstrates what is possible with mass timber construction including new approaches to insulative cross-laminated timber (CLT) assemblies and damage-resistant seismic design.

Vienna House

BC Housing and its partners are bringing Vienna House — a groundbreaking seven-story, 123-unit affordable rental housing development in Vancouver’s vibrant Kensington–Cedar Cottage neighborhood — to life. Located at 2001 Stainsbury Avenue, this innovative project is designed to provide secure, high-quality homes while fostering a strong sense of community. With sustainability and livability at its core, Vienna House will set a new standard for affordable housing in the city.

The HiveThe bold design of this 10-storey tall wood office building in Vancouver’s emerging False Creek Flats neighbourhood features a honeycomb-shaped exterior, an expression of the mass timber building’s unique perimeter-braced seismic system.

Duration: 7.5 hrs

Start Time: 9 am

Cost: $125 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Transportation, Lunch

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (9:00am-4:30 pm)

Location: Vancouver (Central)

Description:
Embark on an exciting and sustainable tour through Central Vancouver, where you'll explore the cutting-edge world of mass timber construction. Blending the efficiency of public transportation with the charm of walking, this tour offers a firsthand look at some of the city’s most innovative architectural achievements—from transformative social housing projects to bold commercial restorations.

Destinations:

Chief Leonard George Buliding
Discover how the BC Indigenous Housing Society (BCIHS) is transforming the urban landscape with a nine-story social housing project that will provide 81 much-needed residential units.

837 Beatty Street

Step into the heart of the Crosstown Tech District and see how mass timber plays a role in commercial restoration. This project seamlessly blends a historic brick-and-beam structure with modern office functionality, creating a unique and dynamic workspace.

MAN6

Duration: 7.5 hrs

Start Time: 9am

Cost: $125 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Transportation, Lunch

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (9:00am-4:30 pm)

Location: Vancouver (North)

Description:
Join us for an immersive journey through North Vancouver’s trailblazing community buildings, where innovative design and sustainability converge with state-of-the-art mass timber technology. On this tour, you’ll explore a range of rejuvenated structures and prefabricated mass timber buildings, each designed with a deep commitment to both environmental stewardship and community engagement. From adaptive reuse projects to LEED-certified and Passive House designs, these landmarks demonstrate the transformative power of wood in creating sustainable, energy-efficient spaces.

You’ll also experience a profound cultural connection as we visit the First Nation-inspired Tsleil-Waututh Administration and Health Centre, where the design reflects the community’s deep ties to nature. Each stop on this tour showcases how mass timber is shaping North Vancouver’s architectural landscape—blending beauty, functionality, and eco-conscious construction for a more resilient future.

Destinations:

North Vancouver City Hall

This adaptive reuse of the 1970s municipal hall uses sustainable, locally sourced Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL) in a large-panel mass-timber structure. The 70-meter atrium, supported by glulam columns, connects municipal departments and the public, creating a light-filled, open civic gathering space.

Maplewood Fire and Rescue

Built with heavy timber and local stone, this post-disaster hub features LEED® and passive house principles. Designed to be Net Zero Carbon, the building uses solar panels to power its lighting systems, ensuring continuous emergency services with robust backup systems.

Northshore Neighbourhood Housing Hub

Lonsdale1

A zero-lot-line building built in just 10 days, Lonsdale1 combines prefabricated mass timber with virtual design and construction technology. This efficient, sustainable project highlights the potential of combining digital tools with eco-friendly building systems.

Duration: 7.5 hrs

Start Time: 9 am

Cost: $125 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Transportation, Lunch

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (9:00am-4:30 pm)

Location: Vancouver (South)

Description:
Join us on an exciting journey through South Vancouver’s innovative mass timber projects, where the legacy of the 2010 Winter Olympics continues to inspire sustainable architecture and the development of future Olympic athletes. From the iconic Richmond Oval to cutting-edge community and corporate spaces, discover how these stunning buildings, crafted from locally-sourced wood, are shaping a greener, more sustainable future. Explore how Vancouver 2010’s forward-thinking vision is still impacting both the city’s architecture and the training grounds of tomorrow's champions.

Destinations:

Richmond Oval
The Richmond Olympic Oval was built for the 2010 Winter Olympics and features one of the largest wood roof spans in the world, which was fabricated with hybrid glue-laminated (glulam) timber-steel arches and 452 WoodWave panels that used wood salvaged from pine beetle-killed forests.

VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visitors Centre
The petal of a native British Columbian orchid is the inspiration for the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre’s curvaceous, undulating timber roof floating over rammed-earth-and-concrete walls.

Alliance Française de Vancouver
Their new home, what AFV calls "a new and improved Francophone centre" is a sleek four-storey mass timber and steel hybrid structure. The building features a 165-seat theatre, classrooms, an art gallery, artist studios, a demonstration kitchen, a large library with advanced digital media options, a public café and a rooftop terrace for community gatherings.

Fast+Epp Home Office

Located at the corner of Yukon Street and 7th Avenue, Fast + Epp’s new 4-storey home office building embraces design elegance and curiosity, traits that our firm has become known for.

Duration: 7.5 hrs

Start Time: 9am

Cost: $125 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Transportation, Lunch

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (8:30am-5:00 pm)

Location: UBC

Description:
The University of British Columbia (UBC) has been at the forefront of forest product research and wood use for decades. This unique tour offers an in-depth look at both the cutting-edge research facilities and the impressive mass timber buildings across campus.

Destinations:

Brock Commons Tallwood House – A groundbreaking 18-story hybrid mass timber structure at UBC, with mass timber elements featured on the 18th floor. This project set global precedents for sustainable high-rise wood construction.

Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) – A living laboratory for sustainability, CIRS showcases extensive wood use in its design, demonstrating the environmental and structural benefits of timber in reducing carbon emissions.

UBC Earth Science Building – Featuring a striking multi-story atrium constructed with glulam beams and cross-laminated timber (CLT), this building exemplifies the strength and versatility of mass timber in institutional construction.

UBC Gateway – Designed as a landmark entrance to UBC, this innovative structure integrates engineered wood elements to create a visually striking and sustainable academic hub.

UBC Bioenergy Demonstration and Research Facility – A pioneering facility that utilizes wood biomass to generate renewable energy, reinforcing the role of wood in both sustainable construction and energy solutions.

UBC District Energy Centre – Featuring exposed wood elements, this facility highlights the aesthetic and functional applications of timber while supporting a sustainable energy system for the campus.

Centre for Advacnced Wood Processing– Canada’s leading education and research hub for wood product manufacturing, this facility is designed to promote innovation in timber construction and design.

Gateway Health Building – This state-of-the-art healthcare facility incorporates mass timber elements, demonstrating the material’s benefits for creating warm, natural, and sustainable indoor environments.

FPInnovations Research Facility– A leading center for forestry innovation, this facility integrates wood construction to reflect its mission of advancing wood science and technology for a more sustainable future.

Duration: 9 hrs

Start Time: 8:30am

Cost: $225 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Transportation, Lunch

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (8:30am-5:00 pm)

Location: Squamish

Description:
Embark on an unforgettable journey through Squamish, just a scenic drive from downtown Vancouver, where nature’s awe-inspiring beauty meets cutting-edge architecture. This tour showcases the remarkable integration of mass timber in the region’s construction, set against the backdrop of Squamish’s stunning landscapes. From the soaring heights of the Sea to Sky Gondola to pioneering timber developments shaping the community, immerse yourself in the diversified forests and rugged terrain that inspire these sustainable structures. Discover how innovation, sustainability, and the spirit of British Columbia’s coastal environment come together in perfect harmony. Experience firsthand the future of architecture, where wood and wilderness converge in an extraordinary setting.

Destinations:

Sea to sky Gondola
Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of the BC forest with this remarkable facility, designed to seamlessly blend with its natural surroundings. The completed facility features a gondola terminal, administration offices, and retail spaces at the base, offering easy access to the forest’s wonders. At the top, just an eight-minute gondola ride away, you’ll find the Summit Lodge, complete with a cafeteria, group dining areas, and a large outdoor viewing deck. Here, you can take in stunning vistas, stroll across a 90-meter suspension bridge, and explore a network of hiking trails and other recreational opportunities. The use of wood throughout the structures, from the base to the summit, was a natural choice, reflecting the area’s rich resources and the craftsmanship of local materials and labor. The result is beautifully embodied in the Summit Lodge, where wood’s elegance and strength elevate the experience of the forest in every way.

Fraserwood Industries Ltd
Step into the heart of innovation at FraserWood, where cutting-edge technology meets unparalleled craftsmanship. With over 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space, FraserWood stands as a leader in the industry, boasting North America’s largest Radio Frequency Vacuum drying capacity.

Squamish Adventure Centre

Craftsmanship and technology converge in this combined visitor centre, sports museum and economic development office. Thirty-five different composite steel-and-timber roof trusses, each with a unique geometry, comprise the curved, butterfly-like roofs that perch lightly on a supporting structure of exposed timber

TAG Panels

Duration: 9 hrs

Start Time: TBD

Cost: $399 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Transportation to all sites, lunch
Some PPE will be provided (excluding shoes).

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 (8:30am-5:00 pm)

Location: Vancouver Island

Description:
Embark on an enriching journey across southern Vancouver Island, where you'll witness the innovative use of mass timber in stunning locations. From the heights of the Malahat Skywalk to the cutting-edge buildings in Victoria, this tour promises an immersive experience into the world of sustainable mass timber construction.

Destinations:

Malahat Skywalk
Experience the breathtaking Malahat Skywalk, an exciting tourism destination on Southern Vancouver Island. This accessible outdoor recreation structure features a beautifully designed Visitor Centre with a café, constructed with mass timber and light wood frame. From the Visitor Centre, embark on a 650m-long treetop walk, which leads you to a spectacular spiral ramp rising 30m to an incredible lookout. Enjoy stunning panoramic views of Finlayson Arm, the Coast Mountains, and the lush BC forest. The primary structure combines glulam columns with steel X-bracing around the perimeter, showcasing the elegance and strength of mass timber in modern design.

Royal BC Museum
The new Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections (PARC) building for the Royal BC Museum, located on the traditional ancestral territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) peoples, will serve as a vital hub for preserving the province's rich cultural heritage. Home to over 7 million significant artifacts and the BC Archives, this state-of-the-art facility will provide critical infrastructure for conservation, research, and education. The PARC building will feature dedicated research labs, learning spaces, and innovative resources, while also being a welcoming open space for the public. It will invite community members and visitors to engage with the collections, listen to diverse stories, and deepen their understanding of BC's history in an accessible, inclusive environment.

Terminus at District

As part of this revitalization, Terminus offers businesses a state-of-the-art five-story mass timber commercial building. Floor plans ranging from 65 square metres to 1,230 square metres offer tenants flexibility along with the warmth of exposed wood. The project features four storeys of dedicated professional office space over ground floor commercial and retail space.

Duration: 9 hrs

Start Time: TBD

Cost: $350 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Transportation to all sites including a ferry ride to the Vancouver Island, admission to the Malahat Skywalk and lunch
Some PPE will be provided (excluding shoes).

Date: Thursday, September 25, 2025 to Friday, September 26, 2025

Location: Kootenays

Title: The Timber Trail: Exploring BC’s Forest, Factory, and Future

Description:
Step into the heart of British Columbia’s awe-inspiring Kootenay region, where nature’s beauty and innovation converge. This exclusive tour will take you on a captivating journey through lush coastal forests, sweeping alpine meadows, arid deserts, and rugged mountain ranges. You’ll witness the complete lifecycle of mass timber—a sustainable building material that is revolutionizing the construction industry.

A highlight of the tour is a visit to the Kalesnikoff facility, a leading manufacturer known for its expertise in producing advanced mass timber products. With a commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge technology, Kalesnikoff is shaping the future of timber construction. Here, you'll see firsthand how the company transforms wood into high-performance, eco-friendly building materials that are making a lasting impact on both the environment and the industry. From the forest to the factory, this tour offers an exclusive opportunity to explore how mass timber is driving innovation in construction.

Destinations:

Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Facility

North America's most advanced, vertically integrated, multi-species mass timber facility. Through its state-of-the-art 110,000 sf plant, we produce efficient, responsible and safe cross-laminated timber panels (CLT), glue-laminated timber panels (GLT), and Glulam beams that are innovating traditional building practices.

Kalesnikoff Modular and Prefab Facility

Kalesnikoff’s modular units are self-contained modules that include windows, carpeting, toilets and showers — with robotic technology used to cut spaces in the cross-laminated timber panels for things like electrical wiring and plumbing.

Spearhead-

Duration: 26 hrs

Start Time: TBD

Cost:$1799 CAD

Number of participants: 20

Included: Return Flight from Vancouver, Single occupancy hotel, transportation to each site visit, lunch and dinner, breakfast. Flights will depart Vancouver Thursday morning and return Friday morning.
Some PPE will be provided (excluding shoes).

Host or Publisher CWCEvents