StructureCraft

🌲 Launch of the Database for Designing, Modelling, and Analysing Timber Structures We are pleased to announce the release of the Timber Structure Database — a new resource designed to support the design, modelling, and analysis of timber structures. This project has been shaped by an exceptional network of collaborators. In total, 32 academic and research groups and 29 industry, manufacturing, and software organizations contributed technical insights, data, and review feedback. We gratefully acknowledge their collective support. 🎓 Academic & Research Contributors Among the many contributors, we would like to offer special thanks to the research teams led by: Dr. Ying Hei Chui — University of Alberta & CWCRN (Hoang Nguyen Dac, Shadi Esmaeildoust, MSc, E.I.T., Waseem Ahmad, Tao Gui, Yisshak Tadesse Gebretekle, Prithula Prashun Aishy) Dr. Samuel Wong — University of Waterloo (Tyler Magnus Verhaar and colleagues) Dr. Minghao Li — The University of British Columbia (Jaewon Oh, Jia Nan and team) Dr. Jianhui Zhou — University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) (Chenyue Guo, Sami Mohammadyzadeh) Dr. Asif Iqbal — University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Dr. Josh Woods, PhD PEng — Queen's University Special appreciation as well to Janusch Töpler for his support with the survey work. 🏗️ Industry, Manufacturing & Software Contributors We also thank all industry, manufacturing, and software organizations whose practical insights and review feedback helped ensure the real‑world applicability of the database. Among them, we would like to extend special thanks to: Fast + Epp (Carla Dickof, Md Shahnewaz, PhD, P.Eng., Brandon Sullivan, Robert Jackson) StructureCraft (Lucas Epp, Justin Brown, Ben Moerman) Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers (Fabrício Bagatini Cachuço, Harrison Glotman and team) Altair Global Academic Program (Moein Ahmadipour and Marinos Stylianou, Ph.D., MBA) Additional thanks to Ali Mikael and Alejandro C. for their continued support and collaboration. 🔍 Reviewers & Testers We are grateful to the organizations that contributed database review, website review, and testing, including: Canadian Wood Council, WoodWorks BC and ON, Fast + Epp, StructureCraft, Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers, Nordic Structures, and Moses Structural Engineers Inc. Their thoughtful comments and constructive feedback helped improve the clarity, technical accuracy, and usability of the platform. 👥 FPInnovations Team We would also like to acknowledge the many colleagues at FPInnovations whose technical work, coordination, communications support, and project guidance contributed to the successful development and release of this platform. Your collaboration and dedication were essential in bringing this initiative to life. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this collaborative effort. We look forward to continuing to expand and enhance this resource for the timber engineering community.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34-mile multi-use trail in southwestern Virginia, stretching from Abingdon to Whitetop. In 2024, Hurricane Helene destroyed a 17-mile stretch of trail from Damascus to Whitetop. The closure of the trail devastated the community of Damascus which relies heavily on the ~250,000 visitors a year for support. As part of the team selected to repair the trail for the USDA Forest Service, StructureCraft’s scope includes the design, engineering, and construction of six new timber pedestrian bridges, set for substantial completion in November of 2026. Three primary structure typologies were utilized, creating a family of related timber structures along the historic VCT trail. The mix of timber trusses, signature glulam arches, and rehabilitated timber decks gives the corridor a consistent visual language while directly supporting the Forest Service’s goal of showcasing the beauty, strength, and versatility of sustainably sourced wood.

Come see the Assembly Studios Bandshell for yourself next week in Atlanta! Drew Willms and Jean-Baptiste Bachmann will join WoodWorks to lead an in-depth tour of the elastically bent timber gridshell project currently nearing completion in Doraville on the Assembly Atlanta campus. When: June 4 @ 4-5pm EST Register: https://lnkd.in/gESE9nYp Images: Zach Rolen

We’re excited to share that SOCA, together with Teeple Architects Inc and 3XN/GXN , has been #shortlisted for the Ramsden Park Community Recreation Centre Design Competition. We’re looking forward to collaborating with our partners and exploring how this important civic space can support the future of community life in #Toronto. Stay tuned for more. #ramsdenparkcommunity #3XNGXN #teeplearchitects #socastudio #socaarchitecture Two Row Architect I StructureCraft I MCW Group of Companies I DEI Consulting Engineers I Giaimo I LEA Group I Public City Architecture I Monumental | Purpose Building Inc. I Caroline Monnet I Rider Levett Bucknall RLB

"Georgia’s Timber Gridshell Set to Debut for World Cup" - Engineering News-Record reports on the Assembly Studios Bandshell project. Stacked atop two precast concrete plinths at the edge of a public greenspace in Doraville, Ga., a 4,000‑sq‑ft, saddle‑shaped timber shell is rising, elastically bent wood laths arching upward from their near‑flat starting position. When complete, the doubly curved, 82‑ft‑span canopy will be clad in stainless‑steel shingles, catching the Georgia sun from every angle. Lucas Epp says he hopes the Doraville project helps revive interest in bending active timber gridshells - a typology he argues has been underused for decades. “It's beautiful. It's incredibly efficient. I think it can be iconic if used in the right ways," he says. ➡️ Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gK7nkKrd Images FLOR Projects

A unique timber structure is taking shape in Doraville, Georgia. This striking saddle-shaped gridshell — believed to be the first of its kind at this scale in North America — features elastically bent wood laths forming an 82-foot spanning canopy clad in reflective stainless steel shingles. The $10 million Assembly Studios Bandshell, engineered by StructureCraft with Smith Dalia Architects as designer, is scheduled to open in early June as a FIFA World Cup viewing venue at the 120-acre Assembly Studios film campus. After the tournament, it will serve as a permanent outdoor performance space for concerts and community events. This project showcases the innovative potential of bending-active timber gridshells — a typology that had been largely dormant for decades. Read the full story in ENR: https://lnkd.in/gQpdZ-Mw Curious to hear from fellow engineers, architects, and contractors: What do you see as the future of bending active timber gridshells?

Yesterday at Build in Wood in Copenhagen, Cecilie Brandt-Olsen shared our digital design approach, focusing on the new gallery structure at Art Omi Pavilions in Chatham, New York, designed in collaboration with SOLID OBJECTIVES IDENBURG LIU. "The biggest challenge for this project is the ambition that the facade should also be the load-bearing structure and at the same time minimum maintenance is desired over the entire service life. When replacing individual parts, it is also important to ensure sufficient redundancy in the system. We have investigated various wood products and assembly details to find possible solutions for this. At the same time, these proposals must also accommodate the project's great geometric complexity and architectural expression, where the facades must constructively act as perforated shells and the many elements must be put together in a way that it can actually be built." -Cecilie Brandt-Olsen, Computational Engineer at StructureCraft Read more: https://lnkd.in/gBrXijgk