New Study from Perkins&Will Offers Mass Timber Solution to Canada’s Housing Crisis

Researchers propose a prefabricated, modular mass-timber system for accelerating housing delivery while supporting the nation’s economy and climate commitments

Canada needs a lot of housing—fast. Perkins&Will has published research proposing a scalable prefabricated modular mass timber system to deliver high-quality homes quicker, more sustainably, and in alignment with regulatory and market realities.

Developed in collaboration with industry and academic partners, the modular timber system is based on a rationalized structural grid, a concise kit of prefabricated components, modular planning principles, and fully coordinated building services. Together, these elements streamline design, approvals, manufacturing, and assembly—supporting both housing delivery and Canada’s climate commitments.

“We face a housing crisis across Canada, and the impact of a rapidly changing climate is real. These are issues that demand decisive action,” says Derek Newby, regional director of Perkins&Will practices across Canada. “At the same time, we have outstanding potential in our industry, and an incredible wealth of natural resources. This study brings all these pieces together and proves that we can do much better. We can start today.”

Building Homes While Building Strength at Home

Mass timber first: Engineered timber is a renewable, low-carbon building material that lends itself naturally to prefabrication. It also represents a fast-growing industry in Canada with significant untapped economic potential. The study demonstrates that modular, prefabricated mass timber housing can meet stringent regulatory, livability, and delivery requirements. Industrializing quality: The research challenges the idea that prefabrication produces uniform or undesirable housing. The modular system can accommodate a variety of unit types, market conditions, and facade systems within the same structural logic and fabrication strategy.

Reducing risk, building confidence: By aligning regulatory, manufacturing, and livability criteria, the system creates a scalable delivery model that reduces risk for municipalities, funders, and project teams while strengthening Canada’s housing supply chain.

System Benefits

Better homes: Modular planning and an optimized grid enable more spacious units with improved daylight, ventilation, and family-friendly layouts. Exposed mass timber enhances occupant well-being through biophilic design.

Delivered efficiently: A fully rationalized and coordinated system streamlines design, approvals, and construction. Prefabricated components reduce on-site labor and accelerate project timelines.

Built sustainably: Mass timber is a renewable, low-carbon material. By reducing reliance on concrete, steel, and gypsum, the system enables housing with significantly lower embodied carbon.

“We need to leverage every opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment,” says Kathy Wardle, regional director of regenerative design. “While the industry in general may evolve slowly, we see it as our responsibility to drive change with impactful design solutions that are resilient and low carbon.”

Stress-Tested

Rigorous study parameters were established to validate the system’s performance under the most demanding conditions. Included among these was a requirement to allow for 100 percent adaptable units. The resulting modular framework supports a wide range of outcomes—from fully adaptable homes to conventional market-driven layouts—without changing the underlying grid, structural system, or fabrication strategy.

Led by Perkins&Will and supported by ASPECT Structural Engineers, Introba, and Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Arts & Technology (SFU SIAT), this research was funded through a co-investment from DIGITAL, Canada’s commercialization partner for digital technologies, delivered under its Housing Growth Innovation program.

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