Mass Timber Innovation and Design Center of Canada
Dezeen Competitions: this competition invites proposals for a mass timber innovation and design centre for a site in Vancouver, Canada.
The winning concept will integrate seamlessly into the natural and sociocultural environment of the site.
Organiser: Design Unlimited
Competition: Mass Timber Innovation and Design Center of Canada
Judges:
- Mark Anderson, principal of Anderson Anderson Architecture, founding partner of Bay Pacific Construction, and professor of architecture at UC Berkeley
- Song He, design director at GOA (Group of Architects)
- Kristoffer Tjerrild Lund, senior architect at Cobe
- David Jaehning, founding partner of David Jaehning Architect, professor of architecture at UC Berkeley
- Karen YunJin Seong, director of the school of architecture at the Academy of Art University (and the acting director of the School of Landscape Architecture)
- Thomas Tannert, Canada research chair, BC leadership chair in Tall and Hybrid Wood Construction, professor, at the University of Northern British Columbia
Key dates: standard registration is from 2 February to 17 May. Late registration is from 18 May to 14 June. The final week rush is from 15 June to 20 June. Submission deadline is 21 June, and the jury review takes place from 11 June to 5 July
Winner announcement: 6 July 2026
Prize fund: $10,000, a certificate and publication
Competition overview
The project seeks visions for an advanced timber structure – a habitat-sensitive, high-performance campus woven into Stanley Park's meadows, forests and trail network.
British Columbia's forestry strength and progressive codes put Vancouver at the forefront of tall timber. The competition tasks participants with designing a mass timber innovation and design centre.
The project should turn research and prototyping into public learning, advancing best practices in timber construction through exhibition, studios, code/testing labs, and open-air mock-up yards organised as welcoming indoor-outdoor rooms, with respect for the local nations on whose unceded territories this site sits.
The organisers are looking for a high-performance building with a credible pathway to net-zero operations – using responsibly sourced mass timber, efficient spans, design-for-disassembly, rainwater capture, bioswales and durable coastal detailing – to create an elegant, low-impact landmark for British Columbia's mass-timber future.
Eligibility and judging criteria
The judging will focus on key elements:
- landmark identity: create a quiet civic icon native to Prospect Point, with respect for the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations on whose unceded territories the park sits. Frame views to the First Narrows, Lions Gate Bridge, and skyline; protect trees, soils, and hydrology; and link clearly to Raccoon Trail and Bridle Path
- prototyping, structure and technological adaptability: legible CLT/glulam spans, honest joints, and design-for-disassembly. Provide 1:1 prototype yards with a weather canopy and safe public viewing. Plan clean/dust-zoned adjacencies, high floor loads, flexible power/data, and serviceable routes so labs, robotics, and CNC can evolve without rewriting the architecture
- environmental performance and sustainability: target net-zero operations with passive strategies and all-electric systems. Use rain capture, bioswales, permeable paths, and native planting; specify low-embodied-carbon assemblies and durable, repairable coastal envelopes. Apply dark-sky lighting and bird-safe glazing; design for resilience to wind, rain, salt air, heat/smoke events, and winter storms
- accessibility, operations and visitor experience: deliver universal access and intuitive wayfinding from the trail edge to the galleries. Offer trail-edge amenities (water, bike parking, public washroom) for everyday park users. Keep service in a screened, time-limited court away from primary paths; separate clean/dirty flows; and provide clear sightlines into making spaces for a safe, engaging public experience.
How to enter
This competition embraces an open registration to all students and young architects worldwide.
Participants can enter either individually or as a team, with a maximum of five members per team.
All winning projects have the potential to be showcased on various websites, in magazines, and across architectural platforms.
Additionally, they may feature prominently in national and international architectural exhibitions and events.
Submission deadlines
Standard registration is from 2 February to 17 May (first 50 teams or to the end date, whichever comes first).
Late registration is from 18 May to 14 June.
The final week rush is from 15 June to 20 June. Submission deadline is 21 June, the jury review takes place from 11 June to 5 July, and the winner is announced on 6 July.
About Design Unlimited
Design Unlimited is a platform dedicated to organising architecture design competitions and providing construction opportunities for passionate young architects, designers, recent graduates, and students.
It has attracted thousands of talents from over 30 countries since its establishment.
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