Three winning designs have just been named in Urbanarium’s fourth-ever design competition for their innovative approach to residential and mixed-use buildings that would, in theory, use mass timber—a low-carbon, sustainably engineered wood product. 

The competition pitch, called “Decoding Timber Towers,” called for proactive submissions that might address both housing and climate challenges in high-density areas.

“At a time when we urgently need low-carbon, livable and affordable housing, it is vital to share ideas and pursue scalable solutions,” juror Natalie Telewiak, Principal at MGA (Michael Green Architecture) said in a release. 

“The Decoding Timber Towers competition delivered just that — provocative proposals that challenge regulation, reimagine mass timber at scale, and spark strategies for change. What stood out to me in the jury process was the diversity of perspectives and the quality of submissions, each thoughtfully advancing the conversation. This kind of ambitious, collaborative discourse is exactly what we need to address the pressing realities of both housing and climate.” 

Notably taking third place were Vancouverites Aster Cai and Elvis Lin for their design Culture House, earning $5,000 for their prize, along with another $5,000, splitting the $10,000 digital prize with first-place winners, Timber Commons by Toronto group MT3.

Engaging hybrid, panelized, modular prefab components adds an innovative systemization, say the jurors. Juror Ian Boyle commented, “Culture House is where we need to go to crack this nut.”

The Culture House pair was recognized for the project’s projected use of modular prefabrication, plus locating a factory on the site. Telewiak noted that the project showed “a strong understanding of regulations and offering rigorous detail in decoding recommendations.”

Second place winners were Team Softwood’s KAPLA, a modular 18-storey tower.

Juror Richard Henriquez’s comment on Kapla by Team Softwood expressed an all-jury sentiment, “This project actually looks like a timber tower!” With a concrete podium and 18-storey tower, the scheme was incrementally sensitive to its urban context.

A handful of Western Canadians also earned honourable mentions: Fluvial Formwork by Adjacent Brick Rows from  Burnaby, TwoUp by DIALOG, FAM-1 by familyandfriends and AWR by RWA all from Vancouver. Each project earned $2,000.

The three winning projects and a few honourable mentions will feature at Vancouver’s Woodrise 2025, an international convention promoting sustainable mid and high-rise timber construction.

Judges for the competition included Telewiak (noted above) along with Andrew Lawrence (structural engineer, arup fellow, director at Arup), Brenda Knights (housing developer, CEO of BC Indigenous Housing Society), Emilie Adin (planner, president of the Planning Institute of British Columbia), Ian Boyle (structural engineer, principal at Fast + Epp), Dr. Gary Hack (planner, professor emeritus at UPenn and MIT), Mingyuk Chen (architect AIBC, associate director at LWPAC), Natalie Telewiak (architect AIBC, AIA, principal at MGA Michael Green Architecture), Norm Leech (community leader, executive director of Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House), Richard Henriquez (retired architect AIBC, founding principal of Henriquez Partners Architecture), and Sailen Black (architect AIBC, senior green building planner, planning, urban design and sustainability at the City of Vancouver).