Korea Build, an interior, building and housing products exhibition was cancelled for the first time in its 35-year history over the COVID-19 outbreak. The trade fair has long been a key business platform where construction, architecture,… more
Canada Wood Korea invited Korean architects and builders on a job site tour to the 5-story Social housing wood infill wall demo site in Seoul on March 13. The main purpose of this site visit was to introduce wood infill wall system and… more
A documentary featuring a group of Korean architects and professors who are spearheading the development of wood construction in the country was aired on YTN, a 24-hour news channel network in South Korea. The video clip can be viewed… more
The first Forest Law was originally established in China in 1984, and has been revised twice ever since. It has been over a decade since the last revision in 2009. Forests and the environment have seen huge changes since then, both in… more
According to a Japanese Government Cabinet Office survey conducted in October 2019, the popularity of 2×4 housing continues to gain traction among younger generations in Japan. The survey first reconfirms that the popularity… more
COFI has been working with the Japan 2×4 Home Builder’s Association to facilitate the spread of large-scale wooden buildings using Nail-Laminated Timber (NLT) in horizontal diaphragms such as roof and floor structures. This is… more
COFI conducted a 2×4 Energy Efficiency and Site Visit Seminar in Obihiro, Hokkaido on February 13th and 14th (18 participants) with the cooperation of the support of the Tokachi 2×4 Home Builders Association. Participants, mainly… more
December & Year End 2019 Japan Housing Starts Summary
December total housing starts dropped 7.9% to finish at 72,174 units for the sixth consecutive monthly decline. Owner occupied housing declined 8.7% and rental housing… more
On February 8, the 20th KWCA-WUC(Korea Wood Construction Association – Wood University Centre) Software Design Course sponsored by Canada Wood Korea was concluded. The course aims to present basic principles of strength of materials and… more
Korea Institute of Building Construction (KIC), in collaboration with Korea Wood Construction Association (KWCA) and Canada Wood Korea, held a joint technical seminar on February 5, 2020. Over 150 professionals attended the seminar,… more
South Korea’s gross domestic product expanded only 2.01% year-on-year in 2019, mostly weighed down by the US-China trade dispute and Japan’s export restrictions. This was the slowest year-on-year growth since 2009, when the economy… more
The COVID-19 is the seventh type of Corona Virus discovered in the World so far that are pathogenic to humans. Unlike MERS and SARS, or the H1N1 flu, statistics show that the death rate of the new virus is significantly lower.
However,… more
Author’s note: Canada Wood and FII have been promoting WFC as an ideal solution for China’s drive to advance prefabricated construction technology due to its advantages in construction speed, reduced waste, and green benefits. This… more
The rapid development of Korea’s wood construction market has created a wealth of opportunities as well as challenges, like a skills gap for the industry in search of a trained, educated and diverse workforce. Canada Wood Korea’s… more
One of Korean’s largest construction company GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C) is aggressively targeting global construction market by acquiring three prefabrication companies in the U.S. and in Europe.
The company… more
The light wood-frame infill wall system will be applied to a 5-story Social housing project in Seoul as non-load bearing partition and exterior walls. The superstructure of this 780sqm building is reinforced concrete. The ground floor of… more
As written in previous blog posts, we are seeing positive increase in the number of agricultural buildings being constructed in Japan, and our joint promotion efforts with the Japan Wood Truss Council (JWTC) is really paying off in… more
November wooden non-residential starts totaled 1,748 buildings for a floor area of 352,723m2. Non-residential wood use for the month is estimated roughly at 61,732m3. Wood held a market share of 38% by number of buildings and 12.1% by… more
November total housing starts dropped 12.7% to finish at 73,523 units for the fifth consecutive monthly decline. Owner occupied housing declined 7.3% and rental housing plunged 17.5% for the 15th consecutive monthly decline. If there was a… more
As part of working group activities of the Japan Wood Research Society, COFI recently visited Honzanji Temple in Kagawa Prefecture, where we witnessed the traditional wooden structure of 5-storey pagoda. The Honzanji Temple in Mitoyo… more
