Timber: Why Architects Are All in on Wood

If there’s one defining trend in American architecture over the last decade, it’s the rediscovery of wood as a construction material. Mass timber buildings—made from large wooden panels, columns, and beams—are rising across North America, with developers racing to construct the tallest wooden tower. A new contender, the 32-story Edison in Milwaukee, just broke ground and is set to claim the title of the tallest mass timber building in the Western Hemisphere.

But why are American developers, architects, and builders all timberstruck? There are the carbon emissions—wood pulls down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as trees grow, so these buildings are a tool in the fight against climate change. Plus, they are quick to construct and can be cheaper to build. So should we start building everything out of wood?

In this episode of Deep Green, METROPOLIS editor in chief Avi Rajagopal speaks with two experts to unpack the potential of mass timber. First, Columbia University professor and author Lindsey Wikstrom discusses how architecture and construction need to evolve to fully embrace timber-based design. Then, DLR Group principal Stephen Cavanaugh shares insights from his extensive experience designing over three million square feet of mass timber buildings, as part of the largest collection of mass timber buildings in North America.

Join us as we dive deep into the thinking behind and the practice of mass timber architecture.

This season of Deep Green is produced in partnership with Mannington Commercial.

Resources:

Designing the Forest and other Mass Timber Futures

Finding a Future for Mass Timber in Hospitality

DLR Group: Hines T3 Partnership

Episode art: Photo by Creative Sources Photography/Rion Rizzo, courtesy DLR Group

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