Join our community of collaborators.
Thermally Modified HEM-Fir
ThermoWood®
Fibre to Future
Follow our journey as we develop new wood products with world-leading technology. Western’s thermally modified Hem-Fir program is an open product development initiative using innovation and industry collaboration to create the next generation of sustainable wood products.
Thermally Modified Wood.
Follow our journey as we develop new wood products with heat and steam. We’ll run pilot projects and product testing with industry partners, sharing the science, field learnings, and collaborations shaping a new market for coastal B.C. fibre.
ThermoWood® Sustainability & Stewardship
Thermal modification supports our vision for a sustainable future built with renewable wood products. The process fits naturally within our broader stewardship approach, connecting smarter fibre use, forest science, responsible manufacturing, and long-term value creation.
ThermoWood® Technology & Testing
We're partnering with best-in-class global technology providers to bring thermal modification science to Hem-Fir. Through in-house process development, structured testing, and pilot-scale validation, we are learning how to optimize the process to enhance durability, stability, and appearance. Follow along as we gather new insights.
ThermoWood® is heating up.
Team & Partners
We've already invested in global-leading technology, achieved ThermoWood® accreditation, and created a dedicated team. Now, we’re inviting architects, designers, value-add manufacturers, and other interested partners to help shape what comes next. Watch the team, the product, and the opportunity grow.
Collaborate with us.
We’re looking for collaboration partners all across the supply chain to take part in thermal modification testing and pilot projects. Interested?
Introducing our Collaborators
This is an open product development program built with collaboration partners across the wood products and design community.
Finishing partner
Fisher Coating – Delivering custom finishing expertise to the Vancouver House pilot
Fisher Coating brings more than two decades of Pacific Northwest finishing experience to Western’s thermal program. As a finishing partner, Fisher supports custom pre-finishing, surface texture, colour development, and coating applications that help bring thermally modified Hem-Fir to life across architectural projects.
Architecture & Design
Leckie Studio – Creating inspiring, sustainable spaces through architecture and design
Leckie Studio is an interdisciplinary architecture and design studio working across architecture, interiors, installations, and product design. Its practice is shaped by research, material sensitivity, and thoughtful contemporary design across residential, commercial, and cultural projects.
Technology Partner
Jartek – Thermal modification technology provider
Jartek is a world market leader in wood thermal modification equipment, delivering ThermoWood® kilns and process technology for high-quality, consistent production. Its solutions are built around flexibility, precise process control, long-term reliability, and customer-specific testing.
Siding Interior Design
Synthesis Design – Full-service custom home and interior design
Synthesis Design is a North Vancouver-based, full-service, award-winning home and interior design firm, creating high-quality custom homes, renovations, and interiors through a collaborative process that combines creative and technical expertise.
Central Wood Feature Bar
The Interior Design Show Vancouver, 2026
IDS Vancouver is the Pacific platform for all things design, connecting visionary brands with more than 25,000 design professionals and enthusiasts through contemporary design showcases, product discovery, immersive installations, seminars, public programming, and industry networking.
Construction Management
Forte Projects – Passive House expertise for high-performance residential construction
Forte Projects is a Vancouver-based construction management firm specializing in new builds and major renovations, with meticulous attention to detail. Its Passive House Certified team and trained trades build high-performance homes to Net Zero and Passive House standards.
Stay up
to date.
Resources
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From Research to Reality. Testing Thermally Modified Hem-Fir.
Understanding how Hem-Fir responds to thermal modification starts with careful testing and reliable performance data, helping us confirm how the material can be used in real-world applications.
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Curtis Krahn shares the thinking behind the IDS Vancouver concept
In this interview, Curtis Krahn, the founder and principal of Synthesis Design, shares the thinking behind the concept, the role of thermally modified wood for architecture, and why this B.C. wood innovation became central to the design.
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Featured Interview – Bob Lennon, CEO of ThermalWood Canada
Bob Lennon discusses the future of thermally modified wood in North America, including the opportunity for Hem-Fir, the importance of ThermoWood® standards, and the testing, quality assurance, and scale needed to build long-term market confidence.
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Inside Western’s Kiln Startup with Jartek’s Mika Talja
Mika is a project manager with Jartek, the Finnish company supplying Western’s kiln technology. He has worked with Jartek for almost 19 years and has been involved in approximately fifty kiln installations around the world.
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The Thermal Modification Kiln Team
Behind Western’s new thermal modification kiln is a story of local expertise, global technology, and a team building something new on Vancouver Island. See how we’re helping shape the next chapter for value added coastal B.C. wood.
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Forte Projects – Partner Profile
Forte Projects is our builder partner bringing Western’s thermally modified Hem-Fir into its first Vancouver residential pilot. Forte is helping translate the design vision into a built application that tests the material in a real home environment