Canadian Wood is a British Columbia provincial government’s crown corporation. It’s officially known as Forestry Innovation Consulting India Pvt Ltd (FII India). Canadian Wood collaborated with Sri Venkateshwara College of Architecture (SVCA), Hyderabad to host an intercollege design competition on the topic ‘Wood is Good’ on World Earth Day. With the partnership with SVCA, FII India aims to give practical exposure to architectural students while simultaneously raising awareness about the numerous applications of wood as a sustainable building material.
About the World Earth Day competition
The intercollege competition, celebrating World Earth Day, centered around the theme ‘Wood is Good’. It was the first event of the year which brought together students and faculty members from eight respected architecture colleges in Hyderabad.
The teams participating from different colleges were given the task of designing unique furniture products using the Western Hemlock wood produced by Canadian Wood. The following colleges participated in the event – Sri Venkateshwara College of Architecture, JNIAS School of Planning and Architecture, Vaishnavi School of Architecture and Planning, Aurora Design Institute, Aurora Design Academy, JBR Architecture College, Church of South India Institute of Technology and Deccan School of Planning and Architecture.
The competition was a united effort to educate future architects about Canadian Wood. It revolved around two categories: chairs and storage cabinets. Two groups represented each college and there were 16 groups in total. The setup proved to be an innovative platform that allowed students to explore and exhibit the exceptional properties and versatile potential of Canadian Wood. It also ensured that the students become well-equipped to use responsibly sourced wood in their future projects.
Each college presented their product design and demonstrated their practical applications to the members of the jury. From Canadian Wood, Dr. Jimmy Thomas took part in the jury session. The afternoon session began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries. The compelling introductory address delivered by Dr. Jimmy Thomas was followed by enlightening speeches from Principal of SVCA Prof. Kamini Singh, Founder-Principal of Sri Venkateshwara Group of Institutions, Vani Devi and finally the keynote address by Ritesh Kumar of Canadian Wood. He shared his expertise and talked about how the competition came to be organized by Canadian Wood.
Jimmy Thomas, Assistant Director, Technical Services of Canadian Wood, talked about the World Earth Day competition–
He expressed his amazement with the outcomes after witnessing the resourcefulness of the students dealing with unfamiliar terrain with wood. The competition has proved to be a much-needed platform to raise awareness of the significance of wood as a building material in both present and future members of the architectural landscape. He feels earnest appreciation for the colleges that participated and their faculty members for their support in nurturing sustainability awareness in future generations. He commended all the students who participated in the competition and showcased outstanding innovation and perseverance in their product designs. Their focus on India’s COP-26 commitments and promoting wood as a sole sustainable building material encourages the sourcing of wood from responsibly managed forests.
Ritesh Kumar, Assistant Director, Business Development, Canadian Wood, said that–
They extend their appreciation to Sri Venkateshwara College of Architecture and its remarkable students for successfully organizing this competition with Canadian Wood on World Earth Day. This competition is a beginning of a promising partnership as they endeavor to bust all misconceptions that plague the use of wood in furniture design and construction. Architects have an important role to play in shaping perceptions. Therefore, with initiatives like this, they intend to educate and inspire budding architects about the versatile applications of sustainable wood. The amazing response they have received has encouraged them to look forward to growing their reach to other educational institutions across India.
Prof. Kamini Singh, Principal of SVCA, Hyderabad, commented that–
She extends her gratitude to the Canadian Wood team and all the principals of the participating colleges for their support in inspiring young students to engage in learning. Through such practical experiences they prove that wood is a tangible way to achieve sustainability goals. This competition gave students the opportunity to discover the wide potential of working with wood. This enriched their practical understanding significantly. She also commends the spirit of teamwork and innovation shown by all the participants. She acknowledged that students face several issues when working with unconventional building materials. However, the event was like a platform for reviving the use of wood in an impactful manner.
The World Earth Day event concluded with the announcement of the winners and distribution of prize. A networking high-tea evening with the Canadian Wood team, visiting architects and faculty members followed the prize distribution. The FII India team looks forward to forging more impactful connections with students, faculties and alumni to strengthen its dedication to sustainability, innovation and education in architecture.
Western Hemlock Species by Canadian Wood: Uses and characteristics
British Columbia, Canada, is renowned for its vast forests, teeming with diverse species of trees. Among these, the Western H
