November 1, 2023
Episode Summary
In this episode, Anne Koven interviews Carol Phillips, who has extensive experience in designing with various construction materials, with a particular focus on mass timber. They explore the potential environmental impacts of increased mass timber adoption, including the effects on forests. Carol also shares insights from her work on the George Brown’s Limberlost Place project, discussing its inspiration and the multifaceted role an architect plays in managing innovative projects like Limberlost Place. Additionally, they delve into the evolving landscape of the architectural profession, driven by shifting paradigms and emerging technologies. The conversation highlights the significance of sustainability in mass timber construction and the profound human connection to wood, along with the environmental benefits it offers. Last but certainly not least; the involvement of Indigenous communities in construction and resource utilization and management is also discussed.
In This Episode
Carol is a Partner with the renowned architecture firm Moriyama Teshima Architects (MTA) known for remarkable, innovative Canadian and international projects. Carol is Design Leader for MTA’s most ambitious low carbon projects. A Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, Carol’s inspired designs have received international awards and are distinguished by the spare but assertive use of materials that bring identity and grace to communities. Her practice is increasingly focused on low carbon and timber in the search for ways the construction industry can contribute better solutions to the climate crisis. Along with her built work, Carol provides service to the architectural community through teaching at the University of Toronto, lecturing internationally, acting as a juror for design awards, and sitting on various design review panels.
Carol Phillips
“In any major work, there are so many people involved and it is incredibly relevant and obvious when you’re working in the world of mass timber…Gone are the days of designing something on a napkin and asking someone to just wrap it in engineering to make it real.”
“You have to respect that when a client has certain budgets, how do you allocate resources effectively when something seems like a premium? I think it’s trying to understand what long-term value is and what overall impact is.”
Connect with Carol
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
- FPAC Documentary: Capturing carbon: https://www.fpac.ca/posts/canadian-forestry-documentary-capturing-carbon-to-be-featured-at-united-nations-cop27-conference
- Constructing Health by Tye Farrow: https://www.fpac.ca/posts/canadian-forestry-documentary-capturing-carbon-to-be-featured-at-united-nations-cop27-conference – Coming Soon
- Canadian Wood Council Primers: https://cwc.ca/
- Eli Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-gould-4b956935 from Offsite Wood (https://offsitewood.org/)
- Moriyama Teshima Architects: https://mtarch.com/
Land Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.