Through a residential pilot with architecture by Leckie Studio and construction by Forte Projects, thermally modified Hem-Fir will move from research, development, and trial material into its first built residential application.
A local house pilot with Leckie Studio and Forte Projects.
Developed from coastal British Columbia Hem-Fir, the product is part of Western’s work to explore how a local species can be transformed into a higher-value, design-forward material for contemporary architecture.
The Vancouver house allows our team to study the material in a real architectural context, not only how it looks as exterior cladding, but also how it is selected, detailed, handled, finished, installed, and experienced as part of a home.
From coastal fibre to contemporary cladding.
Thermally modified Hem-Fir is modified without added chemical preservatives, to improve dimensional stability and support enhanced durability for design-grade applications. Its warmth, tone, grain, and natural character make it especially relevant for homes where wood is intended to do more than cover a surface.
‘What makes this pilot meaningful is the opportunity to learn directly from homeowners, architects, and builders. For a vertically integrated forestry company like Western, this is where product innovation becomes real, connecting our forests, manufacturing expertise, and local species to the homes and communities they ultimately serve.’
– Ara Koh, Market Intelligence Manager, Western Forest Products.
In this setting, the material becomes part of the home’s identity, adding texture, depth, and a stronger connection to place.
That connection is central to the pilot. The project offers an early look at how coastal B.C. Hem-Fir can be reimagined for exterior wood cladding in a contemporary residential setting. It also creates a practical learning opportunity for Western as the product moves through the full project cycle, from material review and design detailing to site installation and final exterior expression.
A design-forward local collaboration.
Leckie Studio is leading the architectural design, bringing a thoughtful lens to how the cladding relates to the home’s form, proportions, and material palette. Forte Projects is supporting the build, translating design intent into real construction conditions.
Together, the team creates the kind of project environment Western hoped to learn from: design-forward, locally grounded, and technically useful.
This pilot is not only about showcasing a new wood product. It is about understanding how the product behaves in use, how it supports architectural expression, and what architects, builders, and homeowners may need from Western as the material moves toward broader specification.
Building useful product knowledge.
For architects and designers, the project offers a first residential view of thermally modified Hem-Fir as an exterior cladding material. For builders, it will generate practical insight around handling, finishing, detailing, and installation. For homeowners, it shows how a local wood species can bring warmth, durability, and natural character to the outside of a home.
The project also points to a larger opportunity for B.C. forestry, creating more value from local species by developing materials that meet the expectations of contemporary design. By starting with local pilot projects, Western can introduce thermally modified Hem-Fir with real project experience behind it.
This is also a rare opportunity for a vertically integrated forestry company to engage directly at the end-user, architect, and builder level. For Western, the project is not only about introducing a new product. It is about sharing a fuller story of local wood, from our forests and sustainability practices to manufacturing, design, installation, and the homes where these materials ultimately live.
It reflects a broader commitment to supporting our forests, our products, our people, and our home.
Documenting the journey.
As the Vancouver house progresses, Western plans to document the process from material selection and sample review to finishing considerations, installation learnings, and the completed exterior. The goal is to share not only the finished home, but the decisions and discoveries that help bring a new local wood innovation to life.
This local house pilot marks an important milestone for Western’s thermally modified Hem-Fir initiative, a step from product development into residential architecture, and from possibility into place.
