Cambrian Heights
A 46,500 ft² multi-tenant industrial building in mass timber, placed on a difficult site informed by DAO's own cost and site modelling algorithm.
Mass timber architecture in Ontario
We design with glulam, cross-laminated timber (CLT) and nail-laminated timber (NLT), and we have built it: two mass timber industrial buildings in Sudbury, one complete and one under construction, with a third in design.
Timber where most people expect steel.
Industrial buildings are usually steel. We've built them in timber, and the frame does double duty as structure and finish.
- Cambrian Heights: 46,500 ft², two storeys, glulam frame, under construction. One of the first mass timber industrial buildings in the Sudbury area.
- Herold Industrial Park: a new 18,800 ft² mass timber building beside a renovated existing building, completed.
- Webbwood Industrial: a timber warehouse addition and wrap-around canopy, in design.
- Helicopter Hangar: a mass timber A-frame proposed for a 10-month delivery, not built.
- Nepahwin Residence: a nail-laminated timber balcony and solarium frame on a lakeside home.
Working with timber: decide early, coordinate tightly.
A timber structure sets the column grid, beam depths, connections, fire separations and service routes. We settle these at concept stage, with the timber supplier and engineers involved.
Nordic has been the mass timber partner on our industrial work. We also use cost models to compare grids, storey heights and building sizes before the structure is fixed.
We leave timber exposed where we can. In our industrial buildings the glulam frame runs through the warehouse and the offices as the finished surface.
Common questions
Is mass timber more expensive than steel?
It depends on the building, the market and the schedule. Cambrian Heights switched from steel to timber because of the steel market. We price both early.
What is the difference between glulam, CLT and NLT?
Glulam (glue-laminated timber) is used mainly for beams and columns. CLT (cross-laminated timber) is layered panels for floors, roofs and walls. NLT (nail-laminated timber) is dimension lumber nailed into solid panels, as in the Nepahwin balcony.
Can you add timber to an existing building?
Yes. Webbwood Industrial adds a timber warehouse and canopy to a steel building, and our Lantern Box framework and the Nepahwin 2.0 study look at timber additions above existing homes.
Mass timber projects
Herold Industrial Park
A renovated 21,500 ft² building and a new 18,800 ft² mass timber building on a constrained site between two highways.
Nepahwin Residence
A nail-laminated timber balcony, solarium tea room and garage workshop added to a lakeside home on a phased, owner-built schedule.
Webbwood Industrial
A mass timber warehouse addition and wrap-around timber canopy give an existing building a noteworthy presence on the arterial road.
Helicopter Hangar
A mass timber A-frame hangar proposed for a 10-month design-and-build deadline using overlapping approvals and streamlined fabrication.
Nepahwin 2.0
A two-storey mass timber addition above an occupied house. The pilot project for Lantern Box.
Carbon Canopy
A rule-based mass timber addition threaded through existing downtown buildings, with drawings, fabrication data and costs generated from a few client controls.