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communications with the client, do a lot of back and forth, determine a true value sweet spot – which admittedly is difficult for architects to write into a specification." Morin's company is renowned for its innovative approach to projects. One of its most celebrated is the Vancouver Convention Centre expansion: working on a tight timeline, Morinwood set up a dedicated 5,000-square- foot manufacturing facility where one-million individual components were assembled. Convinced that higher quality and speed were possible by machine than by hand, Morin and his crew built a robotic assembly line with an adapted German-built Kuka robotic arm to complete the LEED Gold expansion on time and on budget. Morinwood's 40-member team is currently working on The Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George and the BC Children's and BC Women's Hospital redevelopment project, having recently completed millwork and acoustics for the Surrey Memorial Hospital – where the first thing visitors see upon arrival are clusters of spectacularly beautiful semi-arches and ceiling beams. Morin says the latter two public-private partnership projects are noteworthy in that "with P3 you can overcome a lot of the challenges inherent with what developers want and what the budget will allow by being close to the decision-making process." Of course, ongoing interest in sustainability is also a driver in millwork and architectural woodwork. For example, Mid Canada Millwork's services are constantly sought after due partly to its commitment to sustainable forestry and green building, and it uses only formaldehyde-free core materials whenever possible, controls emission at its central processing plant and safely disposes solid waste. Meanwhile, the team at Nordic Engineered Wood is hoping that the recently completed, all-wood District 03 condominium – which they refer to as a "carbon-negative project" due to over 1,200 tons of carbon encapsulated in the wood components – will inspire developers to rethink wood usage. "Thanks to projects like these, people are looking at timber as a structural solution, not just decoration," says Nicholas Angleys, Nordic's marketing advisor. Bruce W. Donald, VP at Continental Cabinet Company Inc., says his business can no longer be satisfied with the large P3 projects. "Now we have to look at smaller projects. All projects large or small have their challenges. Whether it's getting the project done on budget, getting the job done on time or working with unusual materials, there are all sorts of challenges to overcome." But, he says, with the right people anything can be accomplished. "We are fortunate at Continental that we have the right people. We have been around for 53 years and there is no reason why we won't be around for another 53. There is no doubt the industry is changing, we just have to change with it . . . and we will." n CAC Cabinetry & Millwork provided all the architectural woodwork for this Chinese restaurant in Richmond, B.C. december 2014 /49 Architectural Woodwork Millwork Ltd.indd 1 14-11-12 4:15 PM Be part of Award magazine. Book your ad space now. Dan Chapman 604.473.0316 dchapman@canadawide.com Alexander Sugden 604.473.0358 asugden@canadawide.com For editorial inquiries contact: Natalie Bruckner-Menchelli 604.473.0352 nbmenchelli@canadawide.com Mylands Out Of the daRk Paint Range Find out about the latest trends in PAINT & COATINGS in our February 2015 issue. Discover what technological advances are being made and the colours that will be all the rage over the next 12 months.