Canada Wood China Webinar on “The Present and Future of Prefabricated Wood -Construction”
On March 31, 2020, Canada Wood China (CW China) co-organized a promotional event as a webinar with the online platform “precast.com.cn” on the theme of “The present and the future of prefabricated wood construction.” This one and a half hour broadcasting event attracted an online audience of 3,200 participants.
As government and health experts are encouraging social distancing practices to combat the spread of COVID-19, all of CW China’s in-person events have had to be postponed. In response, we have been exploring new ways to adapt our programs. This webinar was our first trial for holding a public facing promotional event through a live online broadcast.
“Precast.com.cn” was founded in 2011 and has become one of the largest online platforms for China’s prefabricated building industry. CW China was invited to give a presentation on modern prefabricated wood construction to increase awareness of wood usage and broaden the market acceptance in the mainstream construction sector.
Lily Sun, Business Development Director of CW China, delivered a presentation about prefabricated wood construction that covered topics from the history of Chinese timber structures, to the revival of wood building techniques and the latest innovations of prefabricated wood construction. She illustrated some famous WFC cases in China such as the Naked Stables located at Mogan Mountain, the Tree Frog Tribe located in Yuyao and the Brock Commons student dormitory of University of British Columbia (UBC). Her presentation emphasized that wood is an ideal material for prefabrication, as it is fast to construct and install. She made a strong case for using prefabricated WFC in both low-rise and mid-high rise buildings covering projects such as resorts, visitor centers, offices, airports and hybrid structures.
Reviewing some of the future possibilities for wood construction, Lily’s presentation introduced the Prefabricated Energy-saving Cladding (PEC) System as a product designed through years of research and trials developed together between Canada Wood and Matechstone. The PEC system combines a precast concrete-frame structure and hung wood wall system, allowing for a hybrid structure that aligns with energy efficiency targets. The PEC system serves as a strong example of newer technologies being developed through methods that integrate intelligent manufacturing and the government’s Industry 4.0 policies.
Through this webinar, CW China was able to broadcast this message to new contacts across the precast.com.cn network. During this time where we are unable to organize in-person events, it allowed us a means to educate more people in the construction industry on the benefits of using wood in all kinds of applications to consider for future projects.
To support the online interactive engagement, we prepared a few specialized gifts for key contacts and potential clients; the Builder’s Toolbox, a branded wood carving souvenir and the “National Standard Design Book of Wood Construction”.
C
Lily Sun represented CW China as one of four guest speakers for a four-part series launched by precast.com.cn to share views of prefabricated wood construction from different perspectives. Other speakers included Yu Xun, the Founder of XYP Design + Technology Co. Ltd; Zhang Leiming, Senior Member of Wood Structure Committee of Shanghai Society of Civil Engineering and Yang Guoqiang, Senior Wood Structure Designer of Shanghai Zhenyuan Timber Structures Engineering Co. Ltd, (ZY Timber).
With the success of this webinar, CW China was invited back for another presentation on this platform. On April 21, 2020, Fu Weizhou, Wood Design Manager of CW China, delivered a speech on “How to Design a Comfortable and Energy Efficient Wood Building.”