Western to introduce thermally modified Hem-Fir at the Interior Design Show Vancouver 2026.
A local first look at an emerging wood technology.
Western Forest Products is bringing its thermally modified Hem-Fir initiative into the design community through a local pilot collaboration at IDS Vancouver 2026.
As part of the show’s Central Bar feature, Western is working with IDS Vancouver and Synthesis Design to introduce a new generation of thermally modified wood made from coastal British Columbia Hem-Fir. The installation will give architects, designers, builders, fabricators, and homeowners an early look at a material we’re developing for interior and exterior appearance-grade applications.
For us, this is more than a product showcase. It is part of an applied research and development program designed to understand how thermally modified Hem-Fir performs in real design, fabrication, and construction settings. The material is modified without toxic chemicals to improve dimensional stability and support enhanced durability for design-grade applications.
From product development to real-world application.
The IDS Vancouver Central Bar provides a meaningful first local platform for this work. Rather than introducing thermally modified Hem-Fir through technical sheets alone, we’re using pilot projects to test how the material moves from concept to detail, from sample to installation, and from product development into architectural use.
Synthesis Design is leading the Central Bar design concept and working with us to align the installation with available product profiles, dimensions, and material characteristics.
Kings Residence by Synthesis Design
Together, the collaboration brings product development, design thinking, fabrication knowledge, and local wood innovation into one applied project.
‘IDS Vancouver gives us a meaningful platform to introduce thermally modified Hem-Fir through local design collaboration. This project is an exciting opportunity to show how abundant coastal B.C. species can be transformed into beautiful, durable, and design-forward materials for homes and architectural spaces.’
– Ara Koh, Market Intelligence Manager, Western Forest Products
A material experience at the centre of the show.
The Central Bar will serve as a focal point within IDS Vancouver, anchoring the opening night party and creating a central gathering space throughout the show. With mini-event programming, a coffee bar, and a DJ area, the installation is designed to bring people into direct contact with thermally modified Hem-Fir.
Visitors will be able to see the product at scale, feel its texture, and experience its tone, grain, and natural variation up close. Through repetition, rhythm, and depth, the Central Bar will explore how locally sourced, value-added wood can move beyond conventional uses into a more design-forward architectural expression.
The installation is intended to be both a gathering space and a material experience, a place where conversations about design, sustainability, constructability, local manufacturing, and wood innovation can happen around the product itself.
Through the Central Bar, Western can introduce thermally modified Hem-Fir in a setting that reflects how new materials are evaluated, through a combination of performance, beauty, credibility, availability, and practical use.
IDS Vancouver 2026 Pilot – Building with feedback, not assumptions.
For the architecture and design community, the pilot creates a practical platform to explore how thermally modified Hem-Fir can be understood, specified, fabricated, and applied. It also allows Western to learn directly from the designers, fabricators, builders, and visitors who will help shape how the product is refined for future architectural applications.
That feedback is central to the program. Thermally modified Hem-Fir is being developed as a market-ready wood platform, not simply a standalone product. Real projects help Western understand how the material behaves, how it is received, where it performs best, and what support architects and builders need to specify it with confidence.
Local fibre, design collaboration, and a new wood platform.
The collaboration reflects Western’s broader goal to develop a high-value, design-relevant wood product from coastal B.C. fibre and bring it to market with real project learning behind it. By starting with a local design installation, Western can engage the design community early, gather practical feedback, and demonstrate how this coastal B.C. species can be transformed into beautiful, durable, and design-forward materials for homes and architectural spaces.
As the Central Bar pilot progresses, Western will document the process from design development through fabrication and installation. Future updates will share material reviews, renderings, detailing decisions, partner perspectives, and lessons learned along the way.
The IDS Vancouver Central Bar will be an early expression of what thermally modified Hem-Fir can become, a locally sourced, design-forward wood product developed through research, collaboration, and real-world application. Thermally modified Hem-Fir is being developed as a market-ready wood platform, not simply a standalone product. Real projects help Western understand how the material behaves, how it is received, where it performs best, and what support architects and builders need to specify it with confidence.
