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A wood building revolution is underway. Innovations in manufacturing have resulted in a variety of engineered wood materials—like cross-laminated timber and glulam—that make it possible to use wood instead of steel or concrete as the main structural component in construction. Mass timber’s advantages include sustainability, cost-effectiveness, aesthetics, and social value. In addition, exposed wood taps into our drive to connect with nature—known as biophilia—and our historic and cultural connection with wood buildings.
Is mass timber a viable option for your next building project?
QUIZ ME!
What industry are you in?
Healthcare
Education
Commercial
Residential
01
hospital/inpatient facility?
Medical office building, outpatient facility, or other type of healthcare building?
Other
The education sector may be well-suited for mass-timber construction. School projects are known for their tight schedules, budget constraints, sustainability requirements, stringent safety requirements, and horizontal orientations. These make timber construction a very good fit because the lightness and modular convenience of timber panels mean that construction can be quicker and less expensive than conventional materials. Timber construction is also less carbon intensive and current code favors shorter timber buildings.
Building with mass timber and exposing wood can be a significant aspect of a biophilic design for workplace or mixed-use projects where the well-being and comfort of the occupant is a priority. Corporate offices and hotels have been among the recent CLT (cross-laminated timber) buildings completed in the United States. Mass timber has a bright future in commercial building design.
For residential developers, speedy construction is crucial to a project’s viability and financial success, making mass timber an attractive option. Mass timber is already gaining popularity for U.S. residential structures under 85 feet, consistent with building code, but designers hope to build taller soon. A variety of concept projects have shown the viability of mass timber residential towers of 30 to 40 stories. And changes to allow taller timber structures in the International Building Code are a strong possibility for 2021. At present, however, it’s more likely that urban timber projects will be shorter mixed-use buildings.
Mass timber project are in the works in places from from Milwaukee to Tokyo for a wide variety of building types from athletic arenas to mixed-use, and civic and public buildings like libraries and government buildings.
Are you building a:
Hospital/inpatient facility
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In most of North America, code limits the use of mass timber structures in hospitals and inpatient facilities. Using wood and natural materials in healthcare interiors for their healing effects is more likely. Enter your email to take a look at Stantec healthcare design that features biophilia.
Medical office building, outpatient facility, or other type of healthcare building
In North America, the allowable height and area for timber use in healthcare facilities is limited for now. But there is flexibility for using wood in project types such as medical office buildings and ambulatory/ outpatient care facilities, which are positioned to be early adopters of timber construction.
I changed my mind
Next Question
More than 18 floors
18 floors or less
Currently, the world’s tallest mass timber-framed building is 18 stories. Considering engineered lumber for this height or lower is a good call.
How tall will your building be?
02
Currently, the world’s tallest mass timber-framed building is 18 stories. But architects and researchers are optimistic about building taller timber buildings—33-story timber buildings are on the horizon and in many jurisdictions, governments are investing in tall timber building research.
UBC Brock Commons, Vancouver, British Columbia. Architect of Record: Acton Ostry Architects, Sustainability and Performance Engineering by Stantec
Poor
Good
A mass timber construction building typically weighs about one-third that of a concrete building and two-thirds that of a steel building, yet it can support the same design loading (loading required to design the structure for to comply with the code) as required for similar occupancies. Mass timber is an excellent choice for construction projects where foundation costs can skyrocket due to piles or improving soil conditions to support heavier structures.
Great! Mass timber can provide significant advantages over traditional construction materials because of its light weight and strength. The lighter weight means that less material may be required for the building foundation, meaning less digging into compact soil, likely reducing construction cost and schedule.
How are the soil conditions at your building site?
03
Not sure
Whatever the conditions might be on your site, you should know that cross-laminated timber products meet or surpass its traditional counterparts in areas of seismic performance.
Remote or hard to reach
Urban/suburban or otherwise easy to reach
Projects on hard-to-reach sites can benefit from offsite modular construction of mass timber elements. The size of the module will only be limited by the size of what can be shipped to the site in one piece.
Compared to conventional building materials, mass timber is lighter and easier to use during construction. This can reduce noise disturbance for neighbors during what is often a shortened construction time.
Where is your project site?
04
Boys and Girls Club
Yes
No
Mass timber components can often be manufactured locally. Supporting local products and manufacturers means reinvesting in your community—which might be something that speaks to your organization’s brand and values. Added to that, reduced costs for shipping and improved timelines for delivery will help a project’s bottom line.
North American manufacturers are catching up with Europe in terms of price, variety of products, and the ability to deliver across the continent. Major mass timber manufacturers tend to be located in timber-rich regions such as the Pacific Northwest or Western Canada. So while you may need to have timber products shipped your way, most are now available in North America.
Are you interested in working with local manufacturers on your project?
05
University of Northern British Columbia Wood Innovation Research Laboratory, Prince George, British Columbia. Stantec in partnership with IDL Projects.
We want to be good stewards of the environment
We stick to code
We want to be good stewards of the environment.
Good news, then, as mass timber is grown in managed forests, typically from widely available and renewable softwoods – spruce, pine, and fir. Even mountain pine beetle kill trees have been used for cross-laminated timber. Wood also acts as a carbon sink, storing carbon dioxide. A nine-story CLT (cross-laminated timber) building can store up to 180 tons of carbon while the steel and concrete version can generate about 135 tons of carbon dioxide during production.
We stick to code.
Even if sustainability isn’t high on your list, mass timber can absorb sound, which reduces the need for acoustic paneling.
How aggressive are your organization’s sustainability goals?
06
Bold Center, Lac la Biche, Alberta. Architect of Record: Tkalcic Bengert. Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Architecture and Interior Design, Facilities Planning and Operation by Stantec.
Very. Our bills are high and getting higher each year
Not very. We’re in a relatively temperate climate
How concerned are you about heating and cooling bills?
07
Very. Our bills are high and getting higher each year.
When used correctly, wood can play an important part in insulating a building and keeping those heating and cooling bills under control. Glulam beams and laminated wall, floor, and roof panels have thermal mass that can store heat and release it at night—which makes a mass timber building a good candidate for projects with Net Zero energy goals.
Not very. We’re in a relatively temperate climate.
Mass timber’s thermal properties may bring those bills down even further, and help you look good in the process. Architects like mass timber for its design properties, particularly its malleability. Glulam beams, for example, can be manufactured in curved shapes that are still strong and stiff.
High Prairie Health Center, High Prairie, Alberta. Architect: Stantec.
Aggressive
We’ve got time
How would you define your construction schedule?
08
Mass timber structural elements can often be machined off site and quickly assembled on site by a conventional construction crew, considerably reducing construction time relative to traditional carpentry. Some mass timber projects report labor savings of 30% or more. Furthermore, mass timber doesn’t require the usual curing time and formwork needed in building a concrete structure.
In construction, time is money, so mass timber can potentially help you off-set construction costs, saving money that you can reinvest in other aspects of your project.
Joint Venture / Association / Collaboration: ICE District JV.
Critical
Important but not a key factor
How important is the wellness of your building’s occupants?
09
See Result
The more mass timber we can expose in the building project, the more building occupants can potentially benefit from the effects of biophilia, which researchers say can reduce stress and improve well-being. Engineered wood can also provide smooth, cleanable surfaces that are less likely than conventional manufactured materials to emit harmful chemicals.
Consider that employee satisfaction and engagement is increasingly driven by the quality of the work environment. Humans have an inherent affinity for natural materials, including wood. The more mass timber we can expose in the building project, the more building occupants can potentially benefit from the effects of biophilia, which researchers say can reduce stress reduction and improve well-being. That means happier, more productive employees—and a stronger business.
Pavillon d'accueil net-zéro du Parcours Gouin, Montreal, Quebec. Architect of Record: BBBL Architectes. Mechanical, Electrical and Structural Engineering, Energy Analysis by Stantec.
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We hope you learned a lot about mass timber as a building construction material.
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Result
Since mass timber isn’t approved for building structures for hospitals and inpatient facilities or buildings over 18 stories in North America, mass timber is unlikely to be a good fit for your project. That doesn’t mean your project can’t incorporate wood alongside conventional materials or incorporate biophilia and natural materials.
To find out more about Stantec’s design expertise, thought leadership, people and projects, read on.
Learn More
Your project isn’t a perfect fit for mass timber, but there may be good reason to integrate engineered wood and biophilic design in a conventional building.
To learn more about Stantec’s design experience, thought leadership, innovative approaches and people, read on.
Based on your answers, your organization can benefit greatly from implementing mass timber on your next project.
To get to know more about Stantec’s innovative approaches to design, see our portfolio and meet our people, read on.
Based on your answers, your project is an ideal candidate for the use of mass timber as a building material.
To meet Stantec’s experts on mass timber, learn more about mass-timber-related projects, see our portfolio and learn from our innovative thinking on design, read on.
