Utilizing wood in schools
For the better part of a decade, B.C.’s schools increasingly feature more innovative, eco-friendly, and flexible designs. Today’s schools are more versatile and adaptable, focused on health and well-being, along with safety and function.
Wood and mass timber provides flexible design, allowing for more open-concept designs in schools. This meets the learning goals and environment of teaching in B.C., keeping the student experience at the centre. This fact sheet summarizes the Wood use in British Columbia schools report by thinkspace and Fast + Epp—a practical report for school districts, administrators, and design professionals to include wood in school buildings.
Topics include
- Several case studies that profile wood in structural and non-structural applications.
- Benefits of wood use in schools including impacts on learning, health and wellness, culture and tradition, speed of construction, cost-effectiveness, and carbon emissions.
- Technology advancements in the mass timber and wood construction industry.
- Addressing building codes and the need for alternative solutions in certain jurisdictions.
