The Green Construction Research & Training Center (GCRTC) Seminar Series presents:
Unlocking Mass Timber: Sustainable Design and Collaboration, presented by:
Ricardo Brites, Ph.D., Eng°
- Director of Engineering & VDC @ Mercer Mass Timber (Vancouver, BC)
- Date: Wed. Mar 19, 2025
- Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM(PST)
- Location: EME 4218, School of Engineering, UBC, Okanagan, Kelowna BC
- Join on Zoom
Abstract
Mass Timber construction has seen remarkable growth across North America in the last decade, with the Okanagan region well-positioned to benefit from this shift towards sustainable building practices. However, a significant gap remains in expertise around the comprehensive design, manufacturing, and assembly of Mass Timber structures. This knowledge gap often results in projects being viewed as expensive or overly complex, causing potential opportunities to be overlooked in favor of conventional construction methods. While standardizing Mass Timber products is crucial for industry growth, the true cost-efficiency of Mass Timber projects depends on factors such as supplier capabilities, plant infrastructure, and regional considerations. In Europe, where Mass Timber is widely considered a commodity, the importance of building strong, collaborative relationships with specialized manufacturers is clear. This allows projects to achieve cost competitiveness while maintaining high sustainability standards.
In this session, Ricardo will share insights into the integrated Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) strategies used by Mercer Mass Timber, North America’s largest supplier of Mass Timber. He will explore the key decisions made throughout the design, production, and delivery phases of a project, emphasizing the importance of engaging suppliers at each step. By aligning these efforts with local expertise and innovations emerging in regions like the Okanagan, Mass Timber can become an even more viable and sustainable solution for the future of construction in the area.
About Ricardo Brites
Ricardo Brites, (Eng.°, PhD) is a seasoned Structural Engineer boasting over 15 years of expertise in Holistic Design for Manufacture and Assembly of Mass Timber Structures across Europe and North America with over 100 delivered Mass Timber projects. His proficiency in Structural Design adhering to both European and North American Standards positions him at the forefront of significant projects. Notably, during his tenure in the UK, Ricardo served as the Associate Lead for the Engineering team at Eurban to deliver award-winning mass timber projects, including the world’s largest Mass Timber Structure in Singapore and two recent recipients of the UK’s prestigious RIBA Sterling Prize.
Since relocating to Canada in 2019, Ricardo has contributed to notable teams, including Katerra’s Equilibrium Group and Aspect Structural Engineers, before assuming a leadership role in the Engineering & VDC group at Mercer Mass Timber in May 2022. Ricardo holds graduate membership with the Institute of Structural Engineers (IStructE), Engineering Membership with the Portuguese Engineers Association (Ordem dos Engenheiros) and is actively working towards achieving PEng status with EGBC.
About the Green Construction Research and Training Center
The Green Construction Research & Training Center (GCRTC) is multi-disciplinary research and training hub, which is the results of collaboration between the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Okanagan College (OC). The center enables a multitude of disciplines to work in a symbiotic manner to enrich and broaden all disciplines’ capabilities towards greener construction. Learn more at https://gcrtc.ubc.ca/.