In a move to raise awareness about the value of B.C. wood-frame design and technology, the 2013 Forestry Asia Trade Mission delegates toured the Naked Stables retreat in the Province of Zhejiang, China.

Naked Stables is a luxury wood-frame construction resort project in the hills of Moganshan, a 90-minute drive from the provincial capital of Hangzhou. The resort consists of 30 tree-top wood-frame villas and 40 hotel-style chalets; the villas were built using pre-fabricated "structural insulated panels" - panels made with wood and insulating styrofoam.

The resort name is meant to reflect its natural setting.

Wood-frame construction technology was used in the building of Naked Stables because of its green properties and its suitability for the hills of Zhejiang Province. Naked Stables has achieved a platinum certification under LEED - a certification system that awards points based on green building principles.

Zhejiang's landscape is approximately 70-per-cent hills, but also contains of a sizable number of rivers, lakes and streams. Sustainable development is important for the province to maintain its reputation as an eco-friendly tourism destination. The owners of Naked Stables are developing two other projects in Zhejiang, and are once again considering using B.C. wood-frame technology.

Trade missions are a critical part of British Columbia's strategy to diversify its international trading partners and secure new investment, propelling economic activity and job creation throughout the province. In June 2013, Premier Christy Clark committed Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson to co-sponsoring annual trade missions to Asia with the forest industry.

Quote:

Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson -

"The Naked Stables Resort demonstrates the potential for using B.C. wood-frame construction in China's growing resort sector. Wood-frame construction technology was used because of its environmental and climate-friendly properties."

Quick Facts:

• Zhejiang Province is a wealthy province in the Yangtze Delta region of China. Its GDP is the fourth-highest in China at over US$550 billion. Its per-capita income is sixth in the country at over US$10,000.
• The hills of Moganshan in Zhejiang have long served as a resort area for wealthy Chinese and expats, especially people from the Shanghai area.
• Travel and tourism within China is expected to grow 10 per cent per year for the next 10 years. Tourism revenues should reach $325 million in 2012. By 2020, tourism is forecast to account for 11 per cent of China's GDP.
• For wood-frame construction, the resort sector has grown from zero to an estimated 25 per cent of all wood projects in China within the last five years.

Learn More:

Photos from the 2013 Forestry Asia Trade Mission are available here: http://ow.ly/pCHMa

BC Jobs Plan: www.bcjobsplan.ca

Building our Natural Advantage: Forest Sector Strategy for British Columbia: www.for.gov.bc.ca/mof/forestsectorstrategy/

Contact:

Brennan Clarke
Media Relations
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
250 356-5261