A mass timber designer uses knowledge and principles of feasible fabrication processes, durable design and best practices in the use of large-format timber (mass timber, solid sawn timber, engineered wood products) to create a fabrication-level 3D model of the project. The projects require the adaptation of technical construction plans, fabrication data and production sequencing for residential, public, commercial or industrial projects. The designer completes a fabrication-accurate 3D BIM model of the structure including connections, screws and integrated penetrations for other trades by coordinating structural and architectural drawings, as well as possible MEP (Mechanical Electrical Plumbing) 3D models supplied by the design team.
Dates, Format and Fees
Dates
Monday, January 6–Sunday, April 27, 2025. Loaner laptops and software available after December 9, 2024.
Format
Fully online asynchronous and synchronous
Fees
$1,500 plus GST
Tuition Subsidies: This program is eligible for full tuition subsidies for learners who meet admission requirements. Please contact us to see if you qualify.
Program Admission: Students will be admitted on a first-submitted-admission-form, first-qualified basis until the program is full.
About Design for Mass Timber
The fabrication designer is an integral member of the timber frame construction team and overall project delivery. They play a pivotal role in the sustainable use of wood products in the construction trade and will be one of the most in-demand positions for the foreseeable future (North Pacific, 2023; Whirlwind Consultants & Arbutus Search Group, 2023).
This micro-credential provides learners with a foundational competency set in mass timber design and 3D BIM fabrication using Cadwork software, conflict resolution communications, wood species and wood project integration, design for CNC machining and 2D drawing packages and materials lists for project assembly.
The program is approximately 130 hours over 16 weeks and is offered primarily through self-paced delivery with real time virtual sessions (1-2 hours weekly). Real-time virtual sessions will be recorded for those unable to attend. A work-integrated learning opportunity may be offered as an optional add on.
Prerequisites
This micro-credential could be a good fit if you have a passion for mass timber construction and a related background. For example:
- Architect/engineer design diploma
- Carpenter with timber frame experience
- Advanced manufacturing diploma or experience
- Digital fabrication and design certificate or diploma
Due to the highly technical nature of this course, it is strongly recommended that participants have the following competencies:
- Strong aptitude for design in 3D
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational skills and detail-oriented
- Advanced computing competence
If you are unsure if you meet the recommended prerequisites, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
System requirements
Operating system: Cadwork supports Windows® 10 and Windows® 8.1 64-bit. Cadwork recommends Windows® 10 Pro, Home or Enterprise. All other systems are not compatible with cadwork version 28 and higher (Windows 7, Apple, etc.).
Processor: Cadwork supports all Intel® processors from Intel® Core™ i7, 5th generation onwards as well as AMD® Ryzen® 3000 series processors. cadwork recommends Intel® Core™ i9, 9th generation or higher. cadwork recommends processors with a base frequency of 3.5GHz or higher for workstations and 2.6GHz or higher for laptops. In general, frequency is more beneficial than the number of processor cores. Customer feedback has shown that Intel® Xeon® processors provide less performance than an Intel® Core™ processor.
Graphics card: Cadwork supports NVIDIA Quadro® P, T or RTX series graphics cards or NVIDIA GeForce® RTX series. Graphics cards should have a minimum of 4GB video memory. The release date of the graphics card drivers must be recent (less than 6 months). We recommend "Download Type: Production Branch / Studio" drivers. A graphics card with relatively old technology can cause problems after a version change. The reasons are that manufacturers may no longer provide up-to-date drivers, or the card technology may no longer be compatible with our graphical kernel (Hoops). For use with multiple displays (2 or more), we recommend the NVIDIA Quadro® P, T or RTX series. They have been tested and work with appropriate graphics card drivers. All other cards have not been tested and may therefore have problems with display and/or performance.
Displays: Experience shows that using multiple displays saves a lot of time and improves productivity, both for cadwork and when using the PC for other purposes. Therefore, you should look for the presence of 2 (or more) video outputs on your graphics card. You will need to ensure that the minimum resolution is 1920x1080 pixels. All monitors should use the same resolution and scaling in Windows. 4K displays do not offer any advantage currently. The use of a docking station can cause problems when using cadwork. The screens must be connected directly to the graphics card.
Memory (RAM): A minimum of 16GB of memory is required. We strongly recommend 32GB or more for optimal performance. When using the IFC interface for BIM (Building Information Modelling) projects, 32GB is the minimum. In some cases, 64GB of RAM will be required. In general, you should not try to save on memory.
Solid state drives: Nowadays, the operating system as well as the programs used daily should be located on an SSD because the access times (backup, data reading, etc.) will be reduced. The disk containing the Windows® partition should have a minimum capacity of 256GB. A second disk with a capacity of 512GB can also be installed. If your data is on a network share, the second disk may not be necessary. A minimum of 20GB of free space on all disks (networked and local) must be present in order to ensure proper functionality of cadwork (backup, installation, updates, etc.). HDDs are not recommended for cadwork version 28.
Mouse and keyboard: A mouse with at least three clickable buttons is required. Left, middle and right clicks are used everywhere in the software. For laptops, a keyboard with an integrated numpad is highly recommended, the same goes for an external keyboard.
*Loaner laptops and mice may be available upon request. Contact us with any requests.