ONTARIO WOOD Sponsored by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Project: The Westhill, Waterloo, ON Architect: Robert J Dyck Architect & Engineer Inc. Engineer: Robert J Dyck Architect & Engineer Inc. The use of structural wood components provided many benefits. To begin with, the cost savings were significant, al- lowing upgraded architectural features that were not possible with alternate structural framing methods. There were re- duced capital costs. There were also reduced site overhead costs, reduced designer construction phase costs, and reduced construction financing costs all due to the reduced construction time. As well, since the schedule had the struc- tural framing occurring over the winter and early spring, there was a significant savings of the winter protection and heating that would have been required for alternate framing methods. The use of wood structural framing which reduced the construction time also allowed earlier occupancy. Wood framing methods also simplified the design and construction of the “landmark” roof feature. GREEN BUILDING WOOD DESIGN Sponsored by OWL Distribution Project: Algonquin College, Perth Campus, Perth, ON Architect: GRC Architects Inc. Engineer: Adjeleian Allen Rubeli Ltd. Algonquin College’s Perth building is a student focused learning facility designed to offer an intimate and friendly set- ting for learning and hands-on experience. Wood structure, exterior cladding, and interior finishes all contribute to the achievement of a comfortable, easy to maintain, and energy efficient campus building. One of the most noticeable features of the building is its wooden structure. Selected partly for its low embodied energy, the majority of the wood structure was sourced from FSC-certified distributors and retailers, further reducing the environmental impact of the construction. Selective sourcing of the other materials yielded more than 17.5 per cent total recycled content. Efforts were also taken to reduce the negative impacts of transporting materials to the site by sourcing more than 55 per cent of all building ma- terials (by cost) regionally. These factors contributed to the achievement of LEED gold for this facility. Further to the geographical and environmental reasons for using wood, program function informs the incorporation of wood and enhanced environmental practices of this learning facility. The building is comprised of two wings: an academic wing and a construction wing. The academic wing includes state-of-the art classrooms, student amenities and adminis- tration offices. The construction wing houses two large workshops and trades, laboratories for the specialized programs in heritage carpentry and masonry and for the advanced housing programs that focus on green building construction methods. 60 – Winter 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report