Episode Summary

Jack Keays, an expert fire safety engineer and building code consultant, discusses his journey into the mass timber industry and the integral role of mass timber in his practice. He highlights the sustainability and aesthetic appeal of mass timber, as well as the importance of exposing the structure in design. Keays also addresses the misconceptions around fire safety in mass timber buildings and the need for better education and understanding in the insurance industry. He emphasizes the potential of mass timber in affordable housing and the challenges and opportunities in the future of mass timber design and construction.

In This Episode

Jack is an accomplished fire safety engineer, building code expert and mass timber innovator with extensive project experience in Canada and Middle East.

Jack has advanced analytical skills with the ability to recognize and address fire safety challenges while developing practical engineering solutions.

With each project, Jack engages both internal and external stakeholders in constructive and collaborative relationships. Jack brings value to each project by taking a holistic approach to fire and life safety and by working closely with a cross section of disciplines to deliver optimal solutions

Connect with Jack

• ⁠LinkedIn⁠


• ⁠Vortex Fire Consulting⁠

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Architectural museums in Denmark


• 3XN Architects and their mass timber projects


• Mass timber in the province of British Columbia

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