Woodrise 2019: The Top 10 highlights

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The Woodrise 2019 international conference, held in Québec City from September 30 to October 4, gathered over 800 participants who came to share the latest advances in mid- and high-rise wood construction.

This second edition—one of its major objectives being to position wood as a solution to climate change—can boast having met its objectives, including demonstrating the place of wood as a leading construction material in a sustainable urban development context, stimulating the creation of international alliances and collaborations and galvanizing the international community toward the reduction of the urban environmental footprint with respect to sustainable construction.

FPInnovations was the co-organizer of this major event, jointly with France’s FCBA Technological Institute, which hosted the first edition in Bordeaux, in 2017. Many researchers from the organization took an active part in the conference, including during technical workshops, where they could share their research results with their peers. Here are, in random order, the Top 10 highlights of the conference.

  1. Woodrise 2019 welcomed participants from 29 countries representing all continents, which shows the worldwide interest for the place of wood in sustainable city development.
  2. This edition’s theme, ‘Building our cities for future generations’, highlighted the importance of tall wood construction to facilitate urban densification, while meeting the need for a reduction of the environmental footprint.
  3. The participation of Canadian agencies and government delegates has demonstrated the government’s commitment, both at the federal and provincial levels, toward long-term solutions to decrease the carbon footprint.
  4. The event’s program committee has accomplished an amazing feat by gathering many high-profile speakers in one place, including Richard Woschitz, project manager for the 84-storey HoHo tower, in Vienna.
  5. Many growth-generating projects have attracted attention during the plenary sessions. They include the presentation by Karim Khalifa, from Sidewalk Labs, which develops large-scale projects such as the one in Toronto, designed to tackle the challenges of urban growth.
  6. Japanese speaker Masahiro Harada discussed the relationship between wood and well-being in construction by presenting many innovative projects with a design in harmony with the environment.
  7. The Exhibition Hall bustled with activity throughout the conference with many companies on site. A B2B networking area allowed for many business meetings to take place; in addition, participants could attend Technological Showcases, where exhibitors were invited to make short presentations of their technologies.
  8. Woodrise 2019 was honored to welcome Mr. Jean-François Lépine, an eminent journalist and international correspondent, now Director of Quebec’s representations in China, as the Master of Ceremonies. The participation of Mr. Lépine, who greeted the participants in French, English, and Mandarin, is a testament to the international interest for wood construction.
  9. The conference also served as a meeting platform for the members of the Woodrise Alliance, a group of companies from various countries determined to put their science in common to support mid- and high-rise wood building construction. As part of this meeting, which featured over 40 participants, 5 new members joined the Alliance.
  10. The conference concluded with the announcement of Woodrise 2021, the third edition of the congress. This next international meeting will be held in Kyoto, Japan, in October 2021.

For more information about the Woodrise conference is available by visiting the News section of the website:

https://woodrise2019.ca/en/press-releases/the-second-edition-of-the-woodrise-international-congress-opens-today-in-quebec-city/">The second edition of the Woodrise international congress opens today in Québec City (September 30)

https://woodrise2019.ca/en/news/woodrise-2019-opening-draws-delegates-from-four-corners-of-the-world/">Woodrise 2019 opening draws delegates from four corners of the world (October 1)

https://woodrise2019.ca/en/news/woodrise-day-2-make-way-for-mid-and-high-rise-wood-buildings/">Woodrise Day 2: make way for mid- and high-rise wood buildings (October 2)

https://woodrise2019.ca/en/news/day-3-at-woodrise-the-science-behind-sustainable-skylines/">Day 3 at Woodrise: The science behind sustainable skylines (October 3)

https://woodrise2019.ca/en/news/building-with-wood-climate-change-ally-and-sustainable-skylines/">Building with Wood: climate-change ally and sustainable skylines (October 4)


Source: FPInnovations