Designed by a young architect from Toronto, Timber-Link uses cross laminated timber to form a flexible system of clustered inhabitable cells at Cape Dorset in Nunavut, Canada. Building panels are prefabricated with insulation and cladding installed before assembly, thus expediting erection and reducing the need for skilled labor on site – especially for situations requiring speedy construction such as disaster relief.

The system can be deployed at different scales, in different configurations, and for different circumstances. Infinite outcomes can be produced, either through the stacking of units or by means of a telescoping mechanism allowing unit assemblies to expand or contract. Not only does the system enable arrangements that can respond to particular requirements, but it also allows for a level of specificity that might not be otherwise feasible – as in remote areas of Northern Canada.

Read project feature in 4th Holcim Awards 2014/2015 (flip-book)