ARC480H1 F
Instructor: Ted Kesik
Meeting Section: L0101
Fall 2024

PREREQUISITE COURSES: ARC382 - Structures, Building Systems and Environments

Wood is one of the oldest and most versatile building materials. It can fulfill the role of structure, cladding and interior finish, and it was a common building material in most of North America prior to the 1900s. In Canada, wood construction can be grouped into two main categories: 1) light frame construction; and 2) mass timber construction. Light frame construction, also known as stick-built, is used in some 90% of new homes in Canada. This type of wood construction uses dimensional lumber (e.g., 38 mm x 89 mm (2” x 4”), 38 x 140 mm (2” x 6”), etc.), to build structural framing systems for floors, walls and roofs, that are reinforced with wood sheathing panels. Wood buildings represent a long-standing Canadian tradition that precedes the European colonization of Canada, and wood buildings continue to dominate Canada’s housing market.

Canadians pioneered low energy wood-frame housing starting with the Saskatchewan Conservation House in the 1970s and went on to develop the R-2000 Program for energy efficient homes in the 1980s that featured high levels of insulation, airtightness and heat recovery ventilation systems. The Passivhaus movement stemmed from this pioneering work and continues to rely on wood as a structural building material. Wood-frame house construction is not just confined to single-family detached housing. A large variety of attached, semi-detached and row housing typologies have been constructed across Canada over the years and continue to make a significant contribution to annual housing starts across our country.

This elective is a practical, introductory-level course aimed at providing students with an understanding of wood-frame construction technology within the context of the Canadian housing industry. The course examines wood-frame construction technology within the scope of residential and small buildings (Part 9 of the Ontario Building Code). The course explores the various technical elements of residential buildings from foundations through to finished exteriors and interiors. In addition to reviewing conventional wood-frame house construction, the course will also review advanced framing, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and engineered wood products. The course will conclude with a survey of contemporary wood-frame construction technology, innovations and trends.