Timber Towers are on the rise, propelled by the growing availability of new wood technologies that promise major environmental benefits. Today, proposals for increasingly tall wooden structures are sprouting up everywhere from Portland to Brisbane, with the world's tallest wooden tower recently completing in British Columbia, and another on its way in Norway.

Amidst the enthusiasm, George Brown College announced plans last summer for a 12 story timber-framed building as part of the school's Toronto Waterfront expansion. Dubbed "the Arbour," the building will not only be a living example of sustainable design, but will also house a new Tall Wood Research Institute, alongside George Brown's Centre for Information and Computer Technology, a new child care facility, and additional research facilities.

To do so, the college conducted an invited design competition, for which the finalists were recently revealed. The chosen proposals include a tree-like structural concept from Pritzker winner Shigeru Ban with Toronto’s Brook McIlroy; a building covered in a skin dotted with photovoltaic cells from Canadian favorites Patkau Architects and MJMA; a series of atriums by local firm Moriyama & Teshima Architect with Vancouver’s Acton Ostry Architects; and a curved volume from Montreal firm Provencher Roy and Turner Fleischer.

Below, a look at the four proposals.