Mass timber can help solve Canada’s housing crisis, says Perkins&Will research

Perkins&Will has published research outlining a prefabricated modular mass timber system. The system is intended to accelerate housing delivery in Canada while reducing embodied carbon.

Developed in collaboration with ASPECT Structural Engineers, Introba, and Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Arts & Technology, the research proposes a standardized building system based on a rationalized structural grid, a kit of prefabricated components, modular planning principles, and coordinated building services. The elements are designed to streamline design, regulatory approvals, manufacturing, and on-site assembly, the team says.

The researchers argue that engineered timber, a renewable material increasingly produced in Canada, is well suited to prefabrication and could help expand the country’s mass timber industry while reducing reliance on higher-carbon materials su...