Ecoforests Takes Part in Sustainability in The Building Industry Conference

December 2-4, 2019 conference follows CEO Michael Ackerman's highly successful and widely covered Impact Investing presentation at Campden Wealth's 20th Family Office Conference in Geneva in May

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 17, 2020 / Ecoforests Asset Management ("EcoForest") is pleased to announce successful participation in the Buildings Show in Toronto on December 4, 2019. Alexey Parilov, Innovation Manager at EcoForests, attended the international architectural roundtable session Mass Timber: Provocative Possibilities of Inventive Design with Wood.

"It's clear that today's construction industry relies most on concrete and steel, but environmental concerns must push builders towards more sustainable solutions," said Parilov. "That doesn't mean completely eliminating the use of concrete or steel and substituting it with wood, rather it means finding a sustainable balance of the 3."

Producing concrete involves quarrying for limestone and clay, and steel production requires mining of iron – both significant in producing emissions of CO2.[1] In contrast, wood harvesting produces significantly less CO2 emissions. According to a Center for International Climate Research (CICERO) study[2], production of 1 ton of concrete can produce as much as 1.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Another study conducted by the American Concrete institute indicated that production of 1 ton of metal products such as steel can account for as much as 3 tonnes of CO2.In contrast, 1 cubic meter of wood can store up to 1 ton of CO2 during its lifetime.[3]

Building structures from wood has both engineering and sustainability benefits. Engineering benefits include improved accuracy, ability to be leveraged in all weather temperatures, enhanced building performance with air tightness, less waste, and less weight.[4] From a sustainability perspective, a tree stores carbon dioxide and releases oxygen throughout its life, effectively reducing harmful CO2 emissions.

Given the sustainability benefits of building with wood instead of traditional framing materials, the building industry is driving an exponential increase on the demand for wood to satisfy current and planned projects. For instance in the US in late 2019 the 14 Tall Mass building code was approved, paving the way for 18 story wood buildings. Inclusion of 18 story wood buildings in the (IBC) International Building Code will be effective in 2021.

Roundtable panelists at the annual conference included Alan Organschi, Principal at Gray Organschi Architecture, Andrew Waugh, Founding Director at Waugh Thistleton Architects Inc., Do Janne Vermeulen, Founding Partner/Architect at Team V Architecture, Elsa Lam, Editor at Canadian Architect and Richard Witt, Principal at Quadrangle Architects Limited.

About EcoForests

EcoForests is a Boutique Forestry Investment Management Company that manages high-end tropical timber species on behalf of their global private and institutional investors, maximizing returns through a commitment to quality, technique, and security. Headquartered in Toronto, with Forestry operations in Central and South America. If you are interested in obtaining a quote on sustainable forestry products, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Rachel Naiman
r.naiman@ecoforests.ca

For sustainable timber supply inquiries, please contact:

1-647-931-9133
info@ecoforests.com

FOOTNOTES

[1] Production of 1 ton of steel results in 1.9 ton of CO2. Production of 1 ton of concrete results in 1.2 ton of CO2. 1 Cubic meter of hardwood timber can store up 1 ton of CO2.
[2] https://www.earth-syst-sci-data.net/10/195/2018/essd-10-195-2018.pdf
[3] http://www.vhn.org/pdf/Eurofact3-Wood_as_Carbon_stores.pdf
[4] Timber is on average ¼ of the weight of concrete.

SOURCE: Ecoforests Asset Management 

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