aia LUNCH & LEARN –
ACCREDITED EDUCATIONAL COURSE TO THE TRADE
AIA Accredited – 2026 ThermoWood Certified COURSE DESCRIPTION
Length: 60 Min. (35-minute presentation + Q&A session)
Learning Credit Units: 1 LU, HSW (Health, Safety, and Welfare)
Topic: Biophilic Design & The Impact of Thermally Modified (TM) Wood in
the US Parks & Recreation and Outdoor Spaces Categories
Date: Contact NOLT Scheduler, Makinsie Evans (makinsie.evans@noltco.com)
Presenter: Stuart Sheridan/Bryan Midlik, NORTHERN OHIO LUMBER & TIMBER
AIA Credit: 1 HSW LU
A paradigm shift is underway in Outdoor Design & Specification. Innovation is changing all exterior finish wood specified in outdoor applications, impacted by 20-year durable, and dimensionally stable, thermally modified wood in outdoor spaces. TM Natural wood – available in over ten hardwood and softwood species – is authentic real wood, does not retain water, so it resists rot, warping, and cupping, lowering repair/replacement/ maintenance budgets. The benefit is simple: elevate intimate user-experience opportunities with natural wood while reducing costs. This shift can replace pressure-treated wood in many spaces over time, displace plastic-faux-wood composite products, and increasingly rare exotic rainforest species (e.g., IPE) in all exterior applications:
· Decking, Pathways & Outdoor Space Surfaces including Bench Seating
· Natural Wood Exterior Siding/Cladding, especially Ceiling Applications
· Screening & Traditional Wood Fencing & Pergolas/Trellis
· 3D Fluted Architectural Facades & Retaining Wall Surfaces
This is not new technology; it is only new to the US. Leading this category are NA & US members of the ThermoWood Association, with over 30 years of expertise in thermal modification manufacturing/scalable capacity for commonly available, renewable wood species. Commercial & Industrial Lumber company, NORTHERN OHIO LUMBER & TIMBER, founded in 1864, is the leading Great Lakes Region US Distributor & Milling Partner in the Thermally Modified Wood category.
OUTCOME:
AIA Accredited Leadership from NORTHERN OHIO LUMBER & TIMBER will review the process of thermal modification, its national impact on Parks & Recreation, and all Outdoor Space Design & Specification, and high-heat dried TM wood’s technical insights, including detailed information about the product’s processes, specifications, uses/applications, pricing, and performance.
SCHEDULING CONTACT: Makinsie Evans, makinsie.evans@noltco.com, (216) 771-4080