BC Architectural Firm Receives First Ever Sustainable Forestry Initiative Award for Kordyban Lodge Cancer Care Facility

VANCOUVER, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vancouver's NSDA Architects is the winner of the first Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Award, handed out Monday, March 3^rd as part of the 10^th annual Wood WORKS! BC Wood Design Awards. The architectural firm is being recognized for its innovative use of wood certified to the SFI Standard in the new Kordyban Lodge, a Canadian Cancer Society care facility located in Prince George, BC.

"It's an honour to receive this inaugural award and be recognized by both SFI and the Wood WORKS! BC program for NSDA's work on the Kordyban Lodge," says Jerry Doll, Partner at NSDA. "We are continually striving to create spirited and innovative architecture that showcases wood at its finest while responding thoughtfully to community needs." 

The lodge, which contains wood products from certified sources the majority of which are certified to the SFI standard, provides a comfortable and peaceful 'home away from home' for cancer patients and their caregivers. The stunning wood building spans 25,000 square feet and includes 36 beds, a meditation room, lounge, family room, massage therapy room and more.

It's widely known that the use of wood products in buildings of this nature goes a long way towards improving the mental wellbeing of patients, who are exposed to natural materials during their treatment process.

Wood certified to the SFI Standard used in the facility includes several products supplied by the Sinclair Group of Companies and Winston Global Lumber Ltd., including engineered roof trusses, pre-fabricated walls, studs, sheathing plywood, and LVL.

"Kordyban Lodge is a showcase of the warmth, beauty, versatility and durability of wood from sustainably managed forests," says Kathy Abusow, SFI President and CEO. "Future forests require responsible forestry and this project is a prime example of the positive contribution that building with wood from sustainably managed forests can make, particularly in a region where the community is supported by the forestry sector."

As the North American leader in sustainable forest management, SFI supports projects such as the Kordyban Lodge that use renewable, responsibly harvested building materials. SFI acknowledges the important role projects like this play in promoting wood as an economical, environmental and socially responsible building material.

The Wood WORKS! Wood Design Awards is the only North American program to recognize, award and publicize excellence in wood architecture – publicly acknowledging the importance of architecture in our society. A hand-selected jury of prominent architects personally reviews each application and chooses the award winners based on considerations such as creativity, distinctive and appropriate uses of wood materials, ability to satisfy clients' building and site requirements, and overall aesthetic appeal for the use and application of wood.

About SFI Inc.

SFI Inc. is an independent, nonprofit organization that is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) program. Across the United States and Canada, more than 100 million hectares (about 250 million acres) are certified to the SFI forest management standard. In addition, the SFI program's unique fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest management on all suppliers' lands. SFI chain-of-custody (COC) certification tracks the percentage of fiber from certified forests, certified sourcing and post-consumer recycled content. SFI on-product labels identify both certified sourcing and COC claims to help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally. Learn more at www.sfiprogram.org and www.sfiprogram.org/Buy-SFI/.

About Wood WORKS!

Wood WORKS! is a national industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council, with a goal to support innovation and provide leadership on the use of wood and wood products. Through workshops, seminars and case studies, Wood WORKS! BC provides education, training, and technical expertise to building and design professionals involved with commercial, institutional and industrial construction projects throughout BC.

SOURCE SFI Inc.