Canadian Mass Timber Costing Guide

Mass timber – an innovative, wood-based alternative to concrete and steel – is key to building greener cities, but its widespread use in Canada is currently limited by uncertainty over construction costs. Developers and builders lack reliable, standardized data to compare the price of mass timber projects against traditional building methods and materials across different regions. This research project, supported by Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC) and RDH Building Science, aims to solve this problem. The intern will create detailed, standardized virtual building models and use industry data to directly compare the costs and carbon footprint of mass timber to concrete in major Canadian cities. The main goal is to create a nationally consistent Canadian Mass Timber Costing Guide. This guide will provide clear, evidence-based benchmarks, helping contractors, insurers, and policymakers to make informed decisions. The expected benefit to SBC is a powerful tool that will improve industry confidence, reduce risk perception, and significantly accelerate the adoption of mass timber as a valuable, low carbon construction material across Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dorothy Johns

Student:

Partner:

Sustainable Buildings Canada

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure; Other services (except public administration); Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: