Professional Development

Course Descriptions

Wood Anatomy and Properties
This course serves as a basic introduction to the anatomy and properties of hardwood and softwood tree species, and their role in the modern world. Students will learn about wood macro and microanatomy, basic wood ID skills, wood strength properties, the interactions of wood and water, and wood composites. This course will give students the basic wood background necessary to continue their education in forestry, wood design, and/or wood science.

Pre-requisites: none

Required Text: Forest Products and Wood Science, an Introduction by Bowyer, Shmulsky, and Haygreen; Identifying Wood. Accurate Results with Simple Tools by R. Bruce Hoadley

Joinery and Construction
This is a cross-disciplinary course meant to bridge the information gap in wood design and technology between artists, designers, architects, engineers, and scientists. This course will focus specifically on joinery techniques both on the small scale (furniture) through large scale (construction). Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of the importance of joinery in design of wooden structures in terms of strength properties, decay resistance, aesthetics, art, and cultural importance. The historic role of joinery from both an eastern and western perspective will be addressed. This course will culminate with a design project in which the knowledge gained, combined with the unique background of each student, will be applied to a final project. This course should prepare students to design and/or build structures that integrate sustainable building techniques with modern construction practices.

Pre-requisites: Introduction to Forest Biology and Management; Wood Anatomy and Properties

Required Text: Wood. Craft, Culture, and History by Harvey Green; Art of Japanese Joinery by Kiyosi Seike

Wood, Water, and Design
This is a cross-disciplinary course meant to bridge the information gap in wood design and technology between artists, designers, architects, engineers, and scientists. This course will focus specifically on interactions between wood and water, and how such interactions affect wood design. Specific topic areas include microbial and insect decay, strength properties, elasticity and bending, and wood coatings. The class will contain strong steam bending and bioart components. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of the mechanisms by which water effects wood, and how such effects can be prevented, encouraged, and utilized. The historic uses of steam bending in Eastern and Western traditions will be discussed, as well as modern wood water topics in design, such as spalting. This course will culminate with a design project in which the knowledge gained, combined with the unique background of each student, will be applied to a final project. This course should prepare students to work in a wood protection field, wood microbial lab, or to design and/or build structures that integrate steam bending and/or water protection elements with modern furniture or construction practices.

Pre-requisites: Introduction to Forest Biology and Management; Wood Anatomy and Properties

Required Text: Wood. Craft, Culture, and History by Harvey Green; Wood Bending Made Simple by Lon Schleining

Wood Decay Mechanisms
This course is directly applicable to those working in the wood preservation industry and/or those interested in spalting, and will focus on mechanisms of wood decay. The primary focus of this course will be on fungal decay and stain, but will also cover insect and marine borer damage as well. Students will gain an understanding of the conditions necessary for decay, methods for decay prevention and stimulation, basic laboratory decay testing methods, basic fungal physiology, and the impacts of decay on wood strength and function. This course should allow for a greater understanding of the impacts of wood decay on structure and function, and prepare students for careers in wood decay prevention, microbial lab work, and wood decay assessment.

Pre-requisites: Introduction to Forest Biology and Management; Wood Anatomy and Properties

Required Text: Wood Microbiology: Decay and Its Prevention by Robert A. Zabel and Jeffery J. Morrell

Preservative Treatments and Decay Prevention
This course is targeted at those interested in the wood preservation industry, or those simply wishing to upgrade their knowledge on current preservative treatments. The course will span the history of wood preservation, from coal-tar creosote to modern preservative treatments. Environmental impacts of preservative treatments, wood coatings, retention levels, decay classes, and various treating standards will be discussed. In addition, the course will also contain a component on decay prevention through planned design. This course should prepare students to enter into careers in wood preservation, especially fields with wood-in-service issues.

Pre-requisites: Introduction to Forest Biology and Management; Wood Anatomy and Properties

Required Text: Wood Preservation by Barry A. Richardson

Wood in the Modern Age (summer contact course)
This is a cross-disciplinary course meant to bridge the information gap in wood design and technology between artists, designers, architects, engineers, and scientists. Throughout the course, students will develop a fundamental understanding of the properties, characteristics, and role of wood in today’s society, along with its importance in sustainable building. This course will culminate with a design project in which the knowledge gained, combined with the unique background of each student, will be applied to a final project. Class instruction will combine lecture, laboratory and studio time, as well as situational learning experiences. The course objectives are as follows: (1) Enable students to utilize wood and wood products more effectively by developing an understanding of the biological nature of wood and its context within western society. (2) Develop writing skills that effectively present information in a concise and clear manner. This course should prepare students to engage with the forest products sector and/or wood manufacturing in construction or design, landscape architecture, bio-artistry, and other related fields.

Pre-requisites: None

Required Text: Forest Products and Wood Science, an Introduction by Bowyer, Shmulsky, and Haygreen (any edition), Wood. Craft, Culture, and History by Harvey Green.

Optional Supplementary Text: Identifying Wood. Accurate Results with Simple Tools by R. Bruce Hoadley (any edition). The Tree. A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live, and Why They Matter by Colin Tudge

Required Equipment: lab coat or studio smock, digital camera (phone camera OK), safety glasses

Costs: A $40 studio fee is required of each student to cover material costs (wood) and machine wear in the workshop. Students will have unlimited access to various wood piles at the University of Toronto (or may chose to purchase their own wood elsewhere), which may include treated wood, composite materials, spalted wood, and kiln dried lumber. The workshop will be open after hours for student use for two hours twice a week, beginning on the third week of class.

Training: Students must complete mandatory safety training in all facilities before beginning their projects. This includes workshop training, composites and Universal Test Machine training, and microbial and Laminar Flow Hood training.

Wood in the Modern Age II (summer contact course)
This course has several objectives: (1) Build upon group dynamics and interdisciplinary skills developed in Wood in the Modern Age I by working on a new design project for the entire duration of a semester that addresses an issue with wood in the modern age (2) Continue to expand knowledge of wood as a biological material through directed lectures and field trips (3) Learn to integrate research and literature reviews into written reports that effectively present information in a concise and clear manner. This course should prepare students to engage with the forest products sector and/or wood manufacturing in construction or design, landscape architecture, bio-artistry, and other related fields.

Pre-requisites: Wood in the Modern Age I or Wood Anatomy and Properties

Required Text: Forest Products and Wood Science, an Introduction by Bowyer, Shmulsky, and Haygreen (any edition), Wood. Craft, Culture, and History by Harvey Green.

Optional Supplementary Text: Identifying Wood. Accurate Results with Simple Tools by R. Bruce Hoadley (any edition).

Required Equipment: lab coat or studio smock, digital camera (phone camera OK), safety glasses

Costs: An $80 studio fee is required of each student to cover material costs (wood) and machine wear in the workshop, composites lab, and applied mycology lab. Students will have unlimited access to various wood piles at the University of Toronto (or may chose to purchase their own wood elsewhere), which may include treated wood, composite materials, spalted wood, and kiln dried lumber. Students will also have unlimited access to certain non-pathogenic microorganisms within the confines of the applied mycology lab. The workshop will be open after hours for student use for two hours twice a week. The workshop, composites lab, and applied mycology lab will be open to students during normal work hours, but may only be used outside of class hours with prior permission from the instructor.

Laboratory space will be made available for all students for project storage and work space outside of class.

Wood, Water, and Design (summer contact course)
This course will focus specifically on interactions between wood and water, and how such interactions affect wood design. Specific topic areas include microbial and insect decay, strength properties, elasticity and bending, and wood coatings. The class will contain strong steam bending and bioart components. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of the mechanisms by which water effects wood, and how such effects can be prevented, encouraged, and utilized. The historic uses of steam bending in Eastern and Western traditions will be discussed, as well as modern wood water topics in design, such as spalting. This course will culminate with a design project in which the knowledge gained, combined with the unique background of each student, will be applied to a final project. Class instruction will combine lecture, laboratory and studio time, as well as situational learning experiences.

Course Objective(s):

Build upon group dynamics and interdisciplinary skills developed in Wood in the Modern Age I by working on a wood and water-based new design project for the entire duration of a semester that focuses on a) steam bending, b) wood bioartistry, c) wood protection, or c) a combination of any of the aforementioned topics
Continue to expand knowledge of wood as a biological material through directed lectures and field trips
Gain a thorough understanding of wood cell wall properties and how water affects wood on a micro and macro scale. This course should prepare students to work in a wood protection field, wood microbial lab, or to design and/or build structures that integrate steam bending and/or water protection elements with modern furniture or construction practices.

Prerequisites: Wood in the Modern Age I or Wood Anatomy and Properties

Required Text: TBD

Optional Supplementary Text: Identifying Wood. Accurate Results with Simple Tools by R. Bruce Hoadley (any edition).

Required Equipment: lab coat or studio smock, digital camera (phone camera OK), safety glasses, sturdy close-toed shoes (no sneakers, no sandals)

Costs: A $75 studio fee is required of each student to cover material costs (wood) and machine wear in the workshop, composites lab, and applied mycology lab. Students will have unlimited access to various wood piles at the University of Toronto (or may chose to purchase their own wood elsewhere), which may include treated wood, composite materials, spalted wood, and kiln dried lumber. Students will also have unlimited access to certain non-pathogenic microorganisms within the confines of the applied mycology lab. The workshop will be open after hours for student use for two hours twice a week. The workshop, composites lab, and applied mycology lab will be open to students during normal work hours, but may only be used outside of class hours with prior permission from the instructor.

A $125 field trip fee is also required for this course. This covers the cost of gas, van rental, and lodging for various field trips throughout the semester.

Laboratory space will be made available for all students for project storage and work space outside of class.

Time Requirements: For those taking the full course on campus, this course contains several mandatory field trips that must be attended. There will be no opportunity to make up the field trip components, and points will be lost for failure to attend.

Joinery and Construction (summer contact course)
This course will focus specifically on joinery techniques both on the small scale (furniture) through large scale (construction). Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of the importance of joinery in design of wooden structures in terms of strength properties, decay resistance, aesthetics, art, and cultural importance. The historic role of joinery from both an eastern and western perspective will be addressed. This course will culminate with a design project in which the knowledge gained, combined with the unique background of each student, will be applied to a final project. Class instruction will combine lecture, laboratory and studio time, as well as situational learning experiences.

Course Objective(s): (1) Build upon group dynamics and interdisciplinary skills developed in Wood in the Modern Age I by working on a joinery-based new design project for the entire duration of a semester that focuses on joinery as an alternative to metal and plastic fasteners (2) Continue to expand knowledge of wood as a biological material through directed lectures and field trips (3) Learn to integrate research and literature reviews into written reports that effectively present information in a concise and clear manner. This course should prepare students to design and/or build structures that integrate sustainable building techniques with modern construction practices.

Prerequisites: Wood in the Modern Age I or Wood Anatomy and Properties; may be taken concurrently with Composites and Construction

Required Text: TBD

Optional Supplementary Text: Identifying Wood. Accurate Results with Simple Tools by R. Bruce Hoadley (any edition).

Required Equipment: lab coat or studio smock, digital camera (phone camera OK), safety glasses, hard hat, sturdy close-toed shoes (no sneakers, no sandals)

Costs: A $50 studio fee is required of each student to cover material costs (wood) and machine wear in the workshop, composites lab, and applied mycology lab. Students will have unlimited access to various wood piles at the University of Toronto (or may chose to purchase their own wood elsewhere), which may include treated wood, composite materials, spalted wood, and kiln dried lumber. Students will also have unlimited access to certain non-pathogenic microorganisms within the confines of the applied mycology lab. The workshop will be open after hours for student use for two hours twice a week. The workshop, composites lab, and applied mycology lab will be open to students during normal work hours, but may only be used outside of class hours with prior permission from the instructor.

A $200 field trip fee is also required for this course. This covers the cost of gas, van rental, and lodging for various field trips throughout the semester. If this course is taken concurrently with Composites and Construction, the field trip fee only needs to be paid once.

Laboratory space will be made available for all students for project storage and work space outside of class.

Time Requirements: For students taking the full on-campus course, this course contains several mandatory field trips that must be attended. There will be no opportunity to make up the field trip components, and points will be lost for failure to attend.

Composites and Construction (summer contact course)
This course will focus specifically on engineered wood materials, specifically wood-based composites. Students will have opportunities to make emulate or make their own composites during lab time, as well as test their composites for strength and durability. Construction and design techniques will be taught on both a small scale (furniture) through large scale (construction). Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of composites in design of wooden structures in terms of strength properties, decay resistance, aesthetics, art, and cultural importance. The history of wood composites, from ancient veneering to modern extrusion will be addressed. This course will culminate with a design project in which the knowledge gained, combined with the unique background of each student, will be applied to a final project. Class instruction will combine lecture, laboratory and studio time, as well as situational learning experiences.

Course Objective(s): (1) Build upon group dynamics and interdisciplinary skills developed in Wood in the Modern Age I by working on a composite-based new design project for the entire duration of a semester that focuses on either a new composite as a replacement for solid wood or an inferior composite or utilizing a current composite in a new manner (2) Gain a firm understanding of the anisotropic nature of wood and how that affects design of composite materials (3) Learn to integrate research and literature reviews into written reports that effectively present information in a concise and clear manner. This course should prepare students to design and/or build structures that integrate sustainable building techniques with modern construction practices.

Prerequisites: Wood in the Modern Age I or Wood Anatomy and Properties; may be taken concurrently with Joinery and Construction

Required Text: TBD

Optional Supplementary Text: Identifying Wood. Accurate Results with Simple Tools by R. Bruce Hoadley (any edition).

Required Equipment: lab coat or studio smock, digital camera (phone camera OK), safety glasses, hard hat, sturdy close-toed shoes (no sneakers, no sandals)

Laboratory (studio) space will be made available for all students for project storage and work space outside of class.

Time Requirements: For students enrolled in the on-campus course, this course contains several mandatory field trips that must be attended. There will be no opportunity to make up the field trip components, and points will be lost for failure to attend.

The Psychology of Wood (summer contact course)
This course is designed as a social sciences course and will focus specifically on the psychological interactions between humans and wood, and the implications of those interactions on design. The design portion of this course has two components: 1) the creation of a wooden item currently in use to replace a similar item made from plastic or metal, 2) conducting a market survey to assess potential consumer opinions on the new model, as well as potential economic and psychological benefits. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of product revitalization, marketing concepts, the interwoven dynamic of humans and wood including significance across cultures, effective speaking, and basic statistical analysis. Class instruction will combine lecture, laboratory and studio time, as well as situational learning experiences.

Course Objective(s): (1) Build upon group dynamics and interdisciplinary skills developed in Wood in the Modern Age I by working on a revitalized wood product and conducting market surveys to assess the economic and cultural feasibility of the product (2) learn communication skills which allow students to discuss ideas and projects with people outside their area of expertise (3) Learn to integrate research, literature reviews, and statistical analysis into written reports that effectively present information in a concise and clear manner. This course should prepare students to design and/or build structures and products that fulfill identified gaps in wood usage, as well as familiarize students with basic marketing, survey, and data analysis skills

Prerequisites: Wood in the Modern Age I or Wood Anatomy and Properties
Required Text: TBD

Optional Supplementary Text: TBD

Required Equipment: lab coat or studio smock, digital camera (phone camera OK), safety glasses

Laboratory (studio) space will be made available for all students for project storage and work space outside of class. Students will also have access to the Faculty of Forestry’s computer laboratory and statistical software packages.