.png){kind=small}
Dear Pilot Projects Partners, Collaborators, and Friends,
As we shovel our way into 2025 (thanks to our recent blizzard), we’re excited to share new examples of systemic collaboration where we are connecting people, ideas, and resources and co-creating lasting benefits for forests, cities, and communities worldwide.
On the near horizon, we’ll be at the International Mass Timber Conference (IMTC) in Portland next month, hosting discussions on the latest results from our Mass Timber Tipping Point knowledge-seeking initiative. We’re also thrilled to announce a new project in Guyana supported by UK PACT that will strengthen sustainable forest value chains with innovative infrastructure and collaboration models. Finally, we’ll share a few key insights gathered from the Wood Solutions Conference in Ottawa, where discussions on mass timber and circular economy approaches are shaping the future of sustainable building.
As always, we invite you to join us, work with us, support us, and take what we have to offer and put it to work in your own endeavors. Please reach out to us if we can help strengthen your efforts, goals and processes in ways big or small!
Mass Timber Tipping Point - Reception at IMTC: Latest findings and interactive discussion
After 18 months of in-depth exploration, Pilot Projects and Architecture 2030 are excited to unveil key insights from the Mass Timber Tipping Point initiative at the International Mass Timber Conference next month. This two-year project has explored the adoption of mass timber as a low-carbon, high impact, construction material for many types of buildings across North America, in collaboration with leading architecture and engineering firms.
At the Mass Timber Tipping Point Reception, on March 25, we will present our preliminary report and engage attendees in active discussion on the findings. The report integrates the results of our 12 full-day, in-person workshops, North America-wide surveys, and expert advisor commentary of Andrew Waugh, Erica Spiritos, Michael Green, Peter Moonen, John Patkau and others. The core of the report is based on the hard-won experience and commitments of the participating architecture and engineering firms including Arcadis, Atelierjones, DCI, Fast + Epp, Grimshaw, Hellmuth + Bicknese, HKS, Little, Moriyama & Teshima, Perkins+Will, SERA, and TYLin.
The complimentary reception event is designed to deepen our understanding of these results through interaction with key findings and dynamic in-person dialogue. By integrating individual insights from past workshops into one cohesive report, we aim to refine our collective understanding and shape the future of mass timber adoption. The reception, alongside the upcoming summit, marks a special opportunity to engage directly with all in-person workshop representatives, making it an invaluable part of the Mass Timber Tipping Point initiative.
Scott Francisco, Founder of Pilot Projects, Vincent Martinez, President of Architecture 2030, and Andrew Waugh, founder of Waugh Thistleton Architects, will co-facilitate the reception with report anecdotes and activities to complement the networking atmosphere. A pass for IMTC is not required to attend the reception, so if you're in the area and interested in this exciting topic, please sign up for our free event to join us!
Keynote Presentation at IMTC 2025
The International Mass Timber Conference (IMTC) is fast approaching, and more details are now available for the keynote session on Thursday, March 27, titled “Are We There Yet? Closing the Gap, Removing Barriers, and the Role of AI and AEC Software Advancements.”
This session will feature Scott Francisco, Paul King, Lucas Epp, and Amy Heilig, who will explore innovations in technology, regulations, culture and markets that are vying to unlock the scale and potential of mass timber.
Additionally, the day before IMTC begins we will host the Mass Timber Tipping Point Summit, for participating firms and project advisors. In this invitation-only session participants will further develop key takeaways and responses to overcoming barriers to mass timber adoption.
This last synthesizing chapter in our extensive research process will close out this AEC phase of the project and a photo gallery and updates on the summit will be available in our next newsletter.
The key outcomes of the reception and summit hosted at IMTC will be integrated into the Mass Timber Tipping Point publications and the final Mass Timber Tipping Point report will be released after IMTC, along with exciting opportunities for further engagement.
OUR LATEST PILOT PROJECT
Forest Value Creative Hubs in Guyana
Few things are closer to our heart than forest conservation through improved community engagement, management, and sustainable livelihoods.
We are thrilled to announce the launch of an initiative led by Pilot Projects, designed to incentivize forest conservation by strengthening local and global value chains for forest products in Guyana! The Forest Value Creation Hubs will connect small timber and NTFP producers with reliable domestic markets and internationally-recognized group certification to boost high-end niche exports. The Design Innovation and Training Hub will integrate traditional crafts with international design expertise, training artisans to create high-value furniture and interior products.
This project, in partnership with an extensive Guyanese consortium and supported by UK PACT, addresses key infrastructure, institutional, and market barriers. It aims to enhance economic opportunities for forest and coastal communities while promoting forest-positive management practices. The Stakeholder Research and Capacity Building efforts also aim to foster equity in the value chain, advance sustainable policies, and monitor social and environmental safeguards.
By strengthening local enterprises, expanding certification and investing in infrastructure, this initiative will help to support a thriving, equitable, and conservation-driven forestry sector!
We will share more as the project unfolds, but please reach out to us if this is in your area of impact.
Reflections from the 2025 Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference
The 2025 Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference gathered industry leaders, designers, and sustainability advocates for an inspiring day of discussions at the National Arts Centre. Hosted by WoodWorks Ontario and the Canadian Wood Council, the event highlighted the latest in mass timber innovations, regulatory advancements, and sustainability strategies in wood construction.
Our team gained new insights on the dynamic policy landscape, including fire and seismic testing outcomes, and the growing role of hybrid structural approaches. The conference underscored both progress and gaps in policy incentives, particularly the need for stronger federal and provincial support to scale mass timber adoption in Canada, and tighter (or) more explicit systemic links to forest management and climate goals. With examples ranging from the Paris Olympics’ pioneering use of mass timber to Indigenous-led housing solutions, insights like these will help shape our work, including the Mass Timber Tipping Point project.
From Ottawa we traveled north to the remote site of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories where an astounding array of new mass timber buildings have been built to accommodate the next generation of research and collaboration in Canada's cutting edge contribution to energy, medicine and defense. This insider tour was led by WoodWorks Canada, HDR Architects' Donald Chong, Nordic Structures, and leaders within the CNL.
These two days with industry leaders strongly reinforced the importance of systemic collaboration to accomplish challenging goals in a context that is still adapting to new environmental paradigms.
Path to COP30: Can systemic collaboration yield a forest-positive urban future?
We’re excited to introduce a new section in our newsletter dedicated to COP 30, scheduled for November 2025 in Belém, Brazil. This section will be your go-to resource for updates, opportunities for involvement, and action-oriented participation. At COP 30, Pilot Projects is championing the role of bio-based materials as a solution for urban development worldwide, and ensuring it takes center stage. Our conservation timber pavilion will be a site for intensive collaboration and knowledge sharing across geographic and technical boundaries. We invite you to join us in this important cause through participation, advocacy, and sponsorships that promote forward-thinking policies, innovations and products. Our newsletter will feature regular updates and opportunities to get involved as we approach Belém and email us today to express your interest in participating!
Join us at Upcoming Events
Pilot Project’s Scott Francisco will be speaking in Quito Ecuador at the Ekos ESG Sustainability Summit, taking place April 23–24, 2025, at the Metropolitan Convention Center This premier event brings together global leaders to explore cutting-edge solutions for a more sustainable future. The title of Scott’s talk is “Challenges for the construction sector in cities toward 2050. Innovation in materials and infrastructure”.
Partner News and Updates
Firms who participated in our Mass Timber Tipping Point continue to drive innovation across industries and geographies. From groundbreaking research to real-world applications, their work is shaping the future of sustainable building materials, circular timber economies, and resilient
supply chains.
We are happy to share a few milestones and highlights from these partners in sustainable systems transformation:
WOOD CAMP ACADEMY 2025 - France
Are you an architecture, landscape, or engineering student, or a craftsperson looking to combine hands-on learning with a strong ecological commitment? Pre-registration is available for the WOOD CAMP ACADEMY 2025, an immersive workshop led by the Comité National pour le Développement du Bois (CNDB) bringing together students from around the world to collaboratively design and build an ambitious wood construction projection in France. The 2025 Theme is Low-Carbon, Resilient Timber Housing, a topic whose importance we can’t emphasize enough!
Click here for more information and to register, places are limited.
Comments