ARC3404H S
Instructor: Ted Kesik
Meeting Section: L0101
Wednesday, 3:00 - 6:00pm

Mass timber construction technology represents a pivotal shift in how buildings are designed, pre-fabricated, assembled, operated and maintained.

“Mass timber is sustainably harvested, machine stress-graded and precision machined. Sounds great. But a lot of things need to happen before our industry can make the leap into a new way of building with wood. Efficiency in construction can come from pre-fabricating components off-site with tighter tolerances. Site work becomes one of assembly and quality control inspections. Virtual reality tools are used to preplan the installation sequence. Construction (assembly) is quietest, safest and clean. This is manufacturing, it is not construction as we know it today. The construction industry is slow to change. The risks of adopting new methods and practices will prevent most building owners from being first adopters. There will be hurdles in the planning process, in procurement and at times it will seem that small steps are being made. But as with any new technology, the life cycle starts with the early adopters. This is a huge opportunity. We're at the leading edge. If you're just starting your career, and are passionate about change, about the environment, and want to make a lasting impact, this is an exciting space to get into. Imagine a construction shift that will make a lasting impact on creating local jobs, improve working conditions, have positive environmental impact using a sustainably-harvested, low embodied energy material to create high quality, high performance buildings at top speed.”
- David Moses, Ph.D., P.Eng. Moses Structural Engineers, Toronto

This elective course in architecture and technology is intended to introduce students to the emerging possibilities of mass timber construction technology. By taking a building-as-a-system approach to mass timber, students will have the opportunity to understand how modern mass timber has now replaced traditional heavy timber construction with new materials and methods that are causing ripple effects across the entire building industry. The course is based on a seminar model with introductory lectures grounding students in the fundamental knowledge needed to undertake their own in-depth case studies of mass timber projects. Several guest lectures and a field trip to explore local mass timber building projects will supplement the lectures and seminars. The course is designed to accommodate graduate and post-professional architecture students, as well as graduate civil engineering students with an interest in mass timber construction technology.