Canada Wood Korea Guidebook Published for Prefab Wood House

By: Tai Jeong

Country Director, Canada Wood Korea

Since early 2020, the interest in building with prefabricated wood construction in Korea has increased. To help Korean builders and manufacturers answer the fundamental question: how to build faster, safer and better housing for less, Canada Wood Korea has published ‘Industrialized Wooden House-Green Cube System Design Guide’,  providing an extensive overview of methodology and application for prefabricated wood building systems. The guide was developed in conjunction with David Joo, project principal of Haustec, Dr. Y.H. Chui, professor at University of Alberta and Green Cube, a leading Korean wood prefab housing company.

Industrialized Wooden House-Green Cube System Design Guide

The document highlights a new industrialized prefabrication method named the ‘Green Cube System’ that can be implemented by small scale manufacturers and explains the integration of optimized transportation planning of prefabricated assemblies. The guide also discusses the suggested structural lay-out that enables a more flexible interior space for living.

The Green Cube uses Canadian S-P-F dimension lumber and OSB to manufacture the panel system for wall, floor and roof with insulation applied in the factory and assembly on site. The system also works well on urban sites with restrictive access and offers a wide range of flexibilities in interior and exterior finishes.

Following ASTM procedures, extensive testing was conducted at the National Institute of Forest Science in Korea in 2021 to verify the building system’s performance. Design format and span tables for floor and roof panel systems were later developed to help users simplify the engineering process.

Canada Wood Korea subsequently hosted a series of webinars and workshops to help the Korean building industry learn more about this prefab system and guide. The workshop received positive and constructive feedback from a total of 127 participating industry stakeholders.