Pre-Congress Offsite Technical Tour (SOLD OUT) Offsite Tour
City Tour (Vancouver East Half Day) – Exploring Innovation in Wood Construction: Commercial, Community, and Housing Projects in Vancouver: 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.
Click Here for More Information Regarding the Offsite Technical Tours (Ticketed)
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Michael Sørensen, Partner and Design Director, Henning Larsen
Keynote Speaker
5:40 PM – 6:05 PM
Michael Sørensen is the Global Market Director at Henning Larsen. Based at the international design studio’s headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, he oversees strategic market development and client engagement. Previously, Michael led Henning Larsen’s New York studio for five years, directing projects across North America.
Eric Karsh, Founding Principal, Equilibrium
Welcome by Master of Ceremonies
Welcome Remarks by Master of Ceremonies
5:00 PM – 5:15 PM
Eric Karsh is the founding partner of Equilibrium, a globally recognized leader in timber engineering and construction since 1998, with offices in Vancouver, Atlanta, and Paris.
With over 35 years of experience as a structural engineer, Eric has played a pivotal role in shaping the international timber industry. His portfolio includes numerous landmark, award-winning projects, such as the Wood Innovation and Design Centre in British Columbia, Mass Timber One (MT1)—Google’s first mass timber office building, located in Sunnyvale, California, and the Créteil Schoolboard office building in Paris, France.
Renowned for his innovative design approach and dedication to sustainable construction, Eric has received international recognition for advancing environmentally responsible building practices. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers (UK) and a part owner of BC Passive House, a leader in the prefabrication of wood-based, high-performance building system.
Welcome Reception Networking Event
Following the Opening Keynotes, attendees are invited to the Exhibit Hall for cocktails and appetizers to network with attendees and the exhibitors.
Introduction to Woodrise 2025 – Welcome to Canada
Sailen Black, Senior Green Building Planner, City of Vancouver
PL01.01 Plenary Speaker
8:50 AM – 9:10 AM
I’m part of the Green & Resilient Buildings team in the Sustainability division of Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability, where I’ve worked for twenty years. My work on green buildings includes creating incentives in Planning policy, reviewing applications, as well as advising staff, consultants, and applicants. Some of the topic areas I deal with are Passive House, mass timber, Net Zero energy standards, embodied carbon, and the related sections of the zoning by-law.
Bob van der Zande, Director Build-in-Wood, Metropolitan Region Amsterdam
PL01.01 Plenary Speaker
9:10 AM – 9:30 AM
Bob van der Zande is Urban Strategist. Advisor of Cities, Regions, Investors and Developers. Focus on building-in-wood and mass timber, social impact, inclusive area development, and public-private collaboration (Triple Helix).
He is the Director Mass Timber Programme in residential development in the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA): 20% of all new homes will be built biobased/in mass timber by 2025. Successful in accelerating the timber movement together with 140 subscribers of the Timber Covenant (2021- 2025) and 30 real estate partners.
In March 2023, he became a member of the Board of Built by Nature Foundation, which stimulates the use of timber and other natural materials in the building sector worldwide with grants. He is chair of the National Houtivation Foundation that is scaling up the use of timber in the real estate industry. He is also chair of the National Knowledge Center for Biobased Construction. He has been Chair of Urban Land Institute (ULI) in the Netherlands for four years, and is past chair of the European Urban Regeneration ULI Council and Global ULI Trustee since 2018.
Bob van der Zande worked in the public sector for decades at the City of Amsterdam and the MRA (30 municipalities, two provinces).
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Lu Hongwei, Deputy Director General, Jiangsu Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
PL01.01 Plenary Speaker
9:30 AM – 9:50 AM
Mr. Lu is a senior government official and technical leader in green and low-carbon development for urban and rural construction in Jiangsu Province—one of China’s most proactive regions in advancing sustainability and a national frontrunner in modern wood construction. He has played a key role in aligning Jiangsu’s urban and rural development strategies with China’s dual-carbon goals, with a strong focus on policies, regulations, and technical solutions.
As a strong advocate for modern wood construction, Mr. Lu has championed the use of wood in public projects, most notably the main timber pavilion of the 10th Jiangsu Horticultural Expo—an iconic structure spanning 4,500 square meters. He also facilitated the establishment of the Provincial Innovation Centre for Modern Wood Construction Engineering. These initiatives underscore Jiangsu’s enduring commitment to incorporating renewable materials and low-carbon approaches into the sustainable development of urban and rural environments.
Deeply engaged in policy formulation and standard development, Mr. Lu also led the drafting of the Green Building Development Regulations of Jiangsu Province and has overseen the release of more than ten local standards in areas such as green buildings and prefabricated construction. He has spearheaded over 20 major research initiatives, including the Research and Demonstration of Green Smart Buildings (Next-Generation Housing). His work has earned national recognition, including the National Green Building Innovation Award, the Huaxia Construction Science and Technology Award, and the Jiangsu Science and Technology Award.
Under his leadership, Jiangsu has achieved more than 1.5 billion square meters of green buildings and launched over 1,300 demonstration projects in high-quality green buildings and eco-districts—maintaining a national leadership position. The province has published more than 60 local engineering standards related to green and low-carbon development and supported over 1,600 green building technology research projects. The province’s project on Renewable Energy Applications in Buildings was honored with the UN-Habitat Dubai International Award for Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment.
Mr. Lu has also played an instrumental role in launching the Jiangsu Green and Low-Carbon Building International Expo, a comprehensive, full-chain service platform for the construction industry, where wood construction technology has been showcased as a key highlight of green and low-carbon development. He further led the establishment of China’s first provincial pilot zone for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in the urban and rural construction sector, where wood is promoted as a sustainable building material.
Leanne Sawatzky, Director, Renewable Cities, Simon Fraser University
Moderator
8:45 AM – 8:50 AM
Leanne Sawatzky is Director of Renewable Cities, a special initiative of Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue. With 20 years of experience advancing sustainable, livable and resilient communities, her leadership emphasizes systems-thinking, partnership and collaboration. Renewable Cities convenes stakeholders to address complex challenges, such as prefabricated mass timber adoption and has published guides and resources for local governments and the building industry on design solution considerations for mid- to high-rise buildings, and strategies to reduce sector risk.
Policies & Incentives: Regional Jurisdictions Building Taller with Wood
Countries worldwide are updating their building codes to address housing needs. Hear from jurisdictions whose codes incorporate building taller and faster with mass timber.
Helen Goodland, Head of Research and Innovation, SCIUS Advisory Inc.
Moderator
11:05 AM – 11:10 AM
Helen is an architect registered in the UK and has an MBA from the University of BC. She brings over 30 years of experience working on transformative solutions for the real estate and construction industries in Canada and around the world, and has become one of Canada’s leading advisors on innovative, low carbon construction policies, processes and technologies. She has also played an instrumental in coalescing British Columbia’s emerging timber technology ecosystem. She has been a member of the authorship team for both the CLT Handbook and Tall Wood Design Guide for Canada. She led the first State of Mass Timber report and data collection process for the federal government and continues to collect sector data and provide market to the BC government. Currently, she is working with CSA Group to develop a national framework for circularity in the built environment. Helen sits on the BC Digital Construction Council and is a director of Building Transformations (formerly CANBIM). She also serves on BCIT’s Mass Timber Education Advisory Board and the University of Victoria’s Green Engineering Advisory Board.
Paul King,
CEO, Built by Nature
PL01.02 Plenary Speaker
11:10 AM – 11:30 AM
Paul is CEO of Built by Nature, a not-for-profit organisation whose vision is a built environment in unison with nature. Previously Paul was Managing Director, Sustainability and Social Impact, Lendlease Europe. He was the founding CEO of the UK Green Building Council. Before that, he worked for WWF-UK as Director of Campaigns, Campaign Director for WWF’s One Million Sustainable Homes campaign and co-founder of One Planet Living. Paul was a trustee and Vice Chair of the Board of Centre for London, the city’s only dedicated think tank, and a director of BeOnsite, a not-for-profit focused on bringing unemployed people from disadvantaged backgrounds into sustained employment.
Paul was Chairman of the public/private sector Zero Carbon Hub and a member of the Zero Carbon Homes 2016 Task Force, established by the UK Government to translate the zero carbon homes policy ambition into reality. He was a member of the UK Government’s Green Construction Board and Chair of its Buildings Working Group. On an international level, he was a member of the Board of the World Green Building Council and Chair of the WorldGBC Europe Network.
Valérie Lasek, Directrice Générale, EPA Bordeaux Euratlantique
PL01.02 Plenary Speaker
11:30 AM – 11:50 AM
Valérie Lasek is a senior official at the French Ministry of Ecology, where she has worked in planning, urban development, and construction, particularly on sustainable cities. Since 2021, she has been leading the Bordeaux Euratlantique Public Development Authority, which has been committed to promoting timber construction in the new districts south of Bordeaux since 2015. As co-organizer of Woodrise in Bordeaux in 2023, the EPA is a founding member of the French association Woodrise Vallée, which brings together industry stakeholders in a single location to accelerate training, research, and the integration of wood construction methods to decarbonize urban planning and the real estate sector.
Woodrise Corner session 1
André Rioux, Co-Owner – Executive Vice-President Marketing – Product Marketing & Development – Brand Ambassador
André Rioux has been active in the wood and construction industry since 2003, with a strong focus on acoustic solutions. Over the past two decades, he has built deep expertise in sales, business development, and marketing, positioning himself as both a trusted advisor and a passionate brand ambassador within the field. Recognized for his energy and clarity as a speaker, André has delivered numerous presentations across North America to architects, engineers, developers, and other key players in the building industry. His ability to translate complex technical data into actionable insights has made him a sought-after voice in discussions around sound performance in wood-based construction. As a driving force behind AcoustiTECH, André plays a key role in advancing innovative solutions that support high-performance acoustic design.
AcoustiTECH Woodrise Corner Presentation
In collaboration with FPInnovations, AcoustiTECH conducted an extensive comparative acoustic study of over 40 floor/ceiling assemblies with a mass timber GLT slab (157mm). This brief introduction will explore the real-world performance of various acoustic solutions highlighting tested assemblies, results, and strategic considerations such as cost, weight, thickness, and floor finish compatibility. The objective is to help building professionals make informed decisions when designing for sound in wood structures.
Silvia Garcia, Vice-President for Regulation and Innovation
Silvia Garcia holds two bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and architecture, as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA). She has been a member of the Ordre des architectes du Québec since 1994. In 2021, she also completed training in civil, commercial, and labour mediation. In 2015, after a number of years working in architecture and politics, she was appointed Vice-President for Regulation and Innovation at the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. She also represents Québec on several strategic national committees within the standardization and technical regulation ecosystem. Ms. Garcia actively participated in the work that led to the signing of several code harmonization and conciliation agreements stemming from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, including one on the recognition of registration numbers for pressure equipment and another, signed in 2020, aimed at reconciling building codes between the provincial and territorial governments and the National Research Council of Canada. Since January 2025, she has co-chaired the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes (CBHCC).
Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) Woodrise Corner Presentation
With its abundant forest resources, Québec has a long tradition of wood construction. Buildings in the past were mainly log or wood-frame structures, low in height.
With urbanization, fire safety standards restricted the use of wood in tall buildings. In 2015, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) authorized wood-frame constructions of up to 6 storeys, under strict conditions.
With the introduction of cross-laminated timber (CLT) came a new material as strong as concrete, leading to the construction of taller, durable buildings with a low carbon footprint. Québec rapidly positioned itself as a leader in mass timber construction in the multi-family and non-residential sectors.
Encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC), which combines structural performance and fire protection, was developed to meet safety requirements. In July 2025, the RBQ published a technical guide authorizing EMTC buildings up to 18 storeys high without a variance.
These advances are in line with the Policy for the Use of Wood in Construction, aimed at reducing carbon footprints and stimulating the local forestry economy. Wood can now be used in a wide variety of buildings, with greater flexibility in exposed-timber allowances.
Québec is a leader in a new era of wood as a pillar of sustainable construction, combining tradition, innovation and performance.
Mona Menadi, Knowledge and Innovation Lead
Mona Menadi is the Knowledge and Innovation Lead at Built by Nature, a network and grant-making organisation accelerating the transformation of the built environment through the responsible use of timber and biobased materials. In her role, Mona identifies, curates, and shares best practices and key insights from BbN’s Frontrunners, Grantees and wider global network to support systemic change across the construction sector.
Before joining Built by Nature, Mona led development and innovation at Urbain des Bois in Paris, working on low-carbon timber projects. She is also the Founder and President of Alternative Builders, a transdisciplinary movement that challenges the status quo of construction and urban development for just, healthy and sustainable cities.
With academic training as both a civil and urban engineer and a background in political science, Mona brings a unique blend of technical expertise and policy insight. This enables her to bridge disciplines and connect innovation in design and materials with regulatory and governance frameworks. Her work centres on advancing knowledge, building partnerships, and unlocking solutions to accelerate the transition to regenerative built environments.
Built by Nature Woodrise Corner Presentation
The Principles for Responsible Timber Construction establish a shared global framework to ensure growing wood demand is managed responsibly; maximizing benefits for climate, nature, and people, while supporting forests, transforming the built environment, and enabling thriving bioeconomies This session will introduce these guiding principles and demonstrate how they can be put into practice through the Implementation Framework: a practical roadmap for designers, developers, investors, and other stakeholders to embed responsible timber use throughout the building lifecycle. The session will also spotlight the 2025 Built by Nature Prize, which celebrates completed projects that exemplify these principles in action.
English (Canada) 
French