Cecobois Challenge 2026: CRMR students dive into the heart of timber construction!
From January 8 to 11, 2026, the Cecobois Challenge 2026 took place, a major academic event bringing together 50 students from diverse disciplines around a common goal: to design and build, in just 48 hours, a scale model of an observation tower for Montmorency Forest, inspired by a real project developed by Université Laval.
This intensive immersion into the world of timber construction allowed participants to apply their technical knowledge, creativity, and ability to work under pressure in a dynamic, collaborative setting.
A committed and highly skilled new generation
Among the participants were:
-
Tiam Mahmoudian, PhD student in wood and wood materials engineering, under the supervision of Professor Alain Cloutier;
-
Rebecca Holbach, PhD student in wood and bio-based materials engineering, under the supervision of Professor Bertrand Laratte;
-
Leo Bonnetain, Master’s student in wood and bio-based materials engineering, under the supervision of Professor Pierre Blanchet;
-
Christopher Gagnon, Master’s student in wood engineering and bio-based materials, under the supervision of Professor Alexander Salenikovich;
- Coralie Offroy (volunteer), Master’s student in wood engineering and bio-based materials, under the supervision of Professor Alexander Salenikovich and co-supervision of Professor Christian Dagenais.
Their participation highlights the commitment, rigour, and expertise of the next generation of wood engineering professionals, ready to tackle the challenges of sustainable, innovative construction.
An Interdisciplinary and Innovative Experience
The students, divided into ten teams, came from architecture, civil engineering, construction engineering, and wood engineering. This diversity fostered a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, where each member contributed their expertise to create innovative, practical solutions tailored to the boreal context.
For Tiam Mahmoudian, Rebecca Holbach, Leo Bonnetain, Christopher Gagnon, and Coralie Offroy, the Cecobois Challenge was much more than a competition: it was a unique opportunity to turn theoretical concepts into tangible projects, work efficiently under pressure, and design robust, sustainable solutions that respect both wood as a material and the surrounding forest environment.
Beyond the competition, this experience strengthened their technical skills, time management, and teamwork. It also highlights the central role of wood in sustainable construction: a renewable, high-performance material particularly suited to northern conditions, offering innovative possibilities for contemporary architecture and engineering.
By participating in the Cecobois Challenge, our students actively contribute to promoting excellence and innovation in wood engineering while embedding their academic journey within a forward-looking, applied research approach.
Acknowledgments
We extend our sincere thanks to Cecobois (Centre of Expertise on Commercial Wood Construction) and all partners involved in organizing this inspiring event. Initiatives like the Cecobois Challenge play a key role in training the next generation of professionals and in developing sustainable construction solutions in Québec.
Photo credit: Cecobois
by: Besma Bouslimi