Innovative Architect Tools

Our Resource Center offers a full suite of innovative architect tools and advisory services. Learn more about how we can help keep you on the leading edge of sustainable architecture and wood design.

The Forum at Marvin Hall by Studio 804

The WRCLA – Built for Success

Founded in 1954, the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) is a non-profit organization that represents reputable producers of quality cedar. As the voice of the cedar industry, our mandate is twofold. The first is to promote the many virtues of Real Cedar. 

The second is to educate, support and equip architects with the right tools to meet their environmental and design goals. Actually, if truth be told, our mission is to help you surpass client expectations with every project you design and build. 

With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce we recently opened our membership doors to architects. This way, we can better facilitate your architectural needs and help keep you on the leading edge of innovative and sustainable wood design. 

And if you’re an architect looking to grow your business, becoming a member means greater reach to potential clients. As a member, your firm will be listed on realcedar.com (1,200,000 visitors per year). Your member profile will also include a direct link to your website, putting more eyes on your portfolio. 

As well as enhancing your lead generation strategy, you’ll also have a direct line to the WRCLA field reps who can offer technical and logistical expertise with our architect advisory services. 

1. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) 

As part of the WRCLA’s ongoing continuing education program, every year we produce new CEUs via Architectural Record and/or Architect magazine. These AIA-accredited courses are free for design and construction professionals looking to enhance their expertise and earn learning units. 

Covering a wide range of timely architectural topics, our extensive library is there to help you broaden your knowledge of wood design and meet your licensing requirements. Simply select the CEU of your choice, read the designated article and answer test questions at the end to receive certification.

Visit our CEU library today for a course that best suits your learning objectives

2. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) 

Whether it’s a community project with multiple stakeholders, a commercial development or single family dwelling, chances are your next architectural brief is going to include rigorous environmental requirements. This presents an exciting challenge for builders and designers – a chance to mitigate the impact of new builds on the planet.  

In addition to innovative design, meeting these goals requires certified sustainable building materials. Products purporting to be “green”without the science to back up will not do. Savvy eco-minded clients and local regulators for environmental compliance often require independent research to quantify eco claims. 

At WRCLA, we take pride in our commitment to sustainable architecture. That’s why we commission and regularly update our 3rd party Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for our siding, decking and lumber products.

In accordance with the International Organization for Standardization, every aspect of our products’ impact on the environment is measured and compared to similar products using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. The results? From production to construction to end-of-life, Real Cedar is one of, if not, the greenest building materials you can choose. And these EPDs provide comprehensive, irrefutable proof of that statement, so you and your clients can make the most informed decisions.

Visit the Real Cedar EPD page for free, downloadable, straightforward reports.

Specifying building products for your next project just got a little easier. That’s because free, downloadable Real Cedar specs for Western Red Cedar siding and trim are now available on ARCAT. 

The WRCLA proudly provides this customized online service to streamline your proposal, design and installation processes. ARCAT’s platform provides, among other things, visual concepts with exacting measurements. These digital documents can then be used to optimize inhouse communications with your firm as well as simplify and enhance client interface. 

Quoting clients, calculating coverage and ordering Real Cedar products for all your projects is more efficient with ARCAT – be it detailed interior work on a renovation job or mass cladding on a new multi-family housing development.

Visit the Real Cedar on ARCAT to learn more about this innovative architectural tool.

4. Training & Seminars

Enhance your expertise and earn licensing credentials with a Real Cedar seminar. Our Real Cedar specialists offer these AIA-accredited training sessions online and in-person. It’s an opportunity for you and your team to earn Learning Unit Credits while increasing your knowledge of wood products in general and particularly with Western Red Cedar.

Seminars can be customized according to your level of knowledge and learning objectives. Our experts offer a wide scope of subjects including the latest in green building innovation and creating biophilic spaces using Real Cedar.  

They also offer very practical overviews for achieving a variety of desired looks with cedar – key areas here include choosing patterns and profiles to create specific types of texture and shadowing as well as best practices for siding installation, finishing and maintenance. 

In turn, you’ll be in a better position to provide your clients with the best advice on incorporating this unique and remarkable species in their project.