Wood you like to be friends?

This week will be a busy one for me, but after getting my Design Exchange membership last week I couldn't help but go to another DXTalk. Tonight's talk was by Jim Taggart FRAIC, recent author of Toward A Culture of Wood Architecture. The theme of the book and tonight's talk was the importance of wood in architecture and how he would like to see things improve in the future.

The talk was very interesting, Taggart's illustrated many of the prominent styles in wood architecture with ample examples from Canada and around the world. While some of the information was a bit over my head (most of the attendees were architecture students), I especially enjoyed what he had to say about the renovations at the Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. Taggart started by asking a simple question, "What do you do when you want to relax?" His answer was the same as mine, go to a park, go for a walk in a forest, enjoy the outdoors in any way possible. For people dealing with cancer, this may not be an option. The renovation (pictured below) allows patients and visitors to escape to a more relaxed atmosphere without having to leave the hospital. Further to that point, Taggart indicated that a study conducted by the University of British Columbia proved that including trees and wood in your environment improves general happiness. I suppose that explains why I have always loved walking down tree-lined streets and going on hikes.