Tipping the Paradigm: Shifting the Balance Towards Timber Construction

Join Olson Kundig and the Seattle Design Festival for a panel discussion on Tipping the Paradigm: Shifting the Balance Towards Timber Construction.

What if we could shift the building industry’s perception of materials, bringing timber (once again) to the forefront – making steel and concrete the outliers? Today, many perceive wood as a wasteful and unsustainable building material. However, timber actually holds more environmental benefits than both concrete and steel. Responsibly sourced timber offers design professionals a material that could help arrest the progression of climate change. Bringing together experts in the sourcing, fabrication, design, engineering and craft of timber, this panel discussion aims to build awareness of the positive potential of wood across a range of construction types. In exploring the design possibilities and benefits of timber, we can change the way building materials are selected, inspiring market demand that can change the industry.

Panelists:

Elaine Oneil, PhD, Director of Science and Sustainability at CORRIM (The Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials), University of Washington

Ted Hall, Founder and Creative Director, Spearhead Timberworks

Amie Sullivan, PE SE, Principal, KPFF Consulting Engineers

Erica Spiritos, Mass Timber Preconstruction Manager, Swinerton Construction

Josh Anderson, Boatwright and Maritime Operations Manager, Center for Wooden Boats

Moderator: Steven Rainville, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Olson Kundig

Event Timing:

4:30pm: Guest arrival

5:00pm: Program kickoff

6:00pm-6:30pm: Q&A with audience & closing remarks

About Seattle Design Festival:

Design in Public’s flagship program, the Seattle Design Festival (SDF) was founded in 2011 to celebrate all the ways that design makes life better for Seattle, and to nurture relationships among designers, citizens, city leaders, and future-thinking business innovators. Now in its 9th year, SDF is the largest design-related event in the Pacific Northwest. The theme of this year’s festival is Balance. From August 16–25, the Seattle Design Festival will gather together designers, community members and civic leaders to explore how we design for Balance. For more information and a full list of SDF events, please visit: https://www.designinpublic.org/event/.