Canada Wood Korea Demo Site Tour: Showcasing Mass Timber Innovation in Jinju
Canada Wood’s recent involvement in Jinju City highlights the city’s pioneering role in adopting wood as a sustainable construction material, particularly with nail-laminated timber (NLT) as a practical alternative to traditional materials in large-scale buildings. The first NLT demo project, completed in 2020 at Jinju’s Community Centre, set a significant precedent, winning the Korea Wood Design Award and inspiring city officials, including Chief City Architect Mr. Choi, a dedicated advocate for wood construction. Building on this success, Canada Wood and Jinju collaborated on a second project, the Seungsan Village Guesthouse, further establishing NLT as a viable solution in Korea’s non-residential construction market.
With recent updates to Korea’s building codes now permitting larger and taller wood structures, the stage is set for wood construction to gain momentum nationwide. Jinju has made notable strides, with over 40% of its public buildings now constructed with wood, thanks to Canada Wood’s support and Mr. Choi’s dedication to carbon-neutral, sustainable design. Jinju’s approach has set a standard, drawing interest from officials across Korea who seek to replicate the city’s success.
In October 2024, to broaden the impact of Jinju’s achievements, Canada Wood Korea conducted a B2B site tour for architects, builders, and government officials during the Jinju Architecture Festival. This two-day event showcased Canada Wood’s NLT projects and included talks by leading architects and industry experts. Participants explored the Jinju Community Centre and the Seungsan Village Guesthouse, witnessing first-hand how NLT can enhance design flexibility and sustainability in public buildings. The program aimed to inspire more architects and builders across Korea, highlighting Jinju’s best practices as a model for mass timber adoption.
With this foundation, Jinju is positioned to drive wood construction growth across the country, and Canada Wood looks forward to further supporting Korea’s path toward a carbon-neutral, mass timber future.
