Mass Timber Market Updates - Apr 2025 - Week Sixteen

Mass timber is reshaping the construction landscape across the globe through groundbreaking projects that showcase this sustainable building material's versatility, efficiency, and environmental benefits.

Western Michigan University's new 270,000-square-foot resident hall stands as a powerful example of how mass timber can revolutionize student housing. This innovative project accommodates 1,000 beds while striking the perfect balance between sustainability, affordability, and occupant wellbeing through hybrid construction techniques that combine engineered wood with advanced prefabrication methods.

Meanwhile, in Canada, mass timber is breaking new ground in the industrial sector. Sudbury developers are pioneering the use of engineered wood products for commercial and warehouse facilities, setting themselves apart from conventional construction in the region. This expansion into industrial applications signals an important evolution for mass timber, demonstrating its suitability across increasingly diverse building types.

The podcast also explores Stockholm Wood City, poised to become the world's largest wooden urban development. This ambitious $1.4 billion project spans 250,000 square meters and will include 2,000 residential units, office spaces, retail outlets, and cultural venues by 2027. Construction began in October 2024, with the first phase expected to reach completion by the end of 2025.

Despite these exciting developments, political uncertainties surrounding tariffs have created challenges for sustainable building practices and affordable housing initiatives in North America. The podcast touches on these policy pressures while highlighting technical advancements like the American Wood Council's updated connection calculator that continue to support mass timber's momentum.

Whether you're a construction professional, sustainability advocate, or simply interested in the future of building, this episode offers valuable insights into how mass timber is transforming our built environment. Subscribe to the Mass Timber Construction Podcast for weekly updates on this rapidly evolving industry, and visit our website to learn about submitting research to the Mass Timber Construction Journal.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Ladies and gentlemen, we are live.
This is the moment you all havebeen waiting for.
It's time for the globalsensation, the one, the only,

(00:23):
the undisputed heavyweightpodcast in the world the Mass
Timber Construction Podcast.
And now here's Paul Kramer,your host.

(00:48):
Good morning, good afternoon orgood evening wherever you are
in the world today, welcome tothe Mass Timber Construction
Podcast.
My name is Paul Kramer, yourhost.
Thank you, bruce Buffer.
Veteran voice of the Octagon.
It is very close to theChristian holiday for Easter
this year.
I hope that you have a greatcelebration if you're
celebrating Easter, and makesure that you take some time out

(01:11):
to be with family, friends andloved ones and catch up on the
latest news from around theworld.
In my semi-construction land, Icertainly will be taking some
time off, and so this podcast isa couple of days delayed and
late because of the Easterholiday, but you've got to take
time out from work.
Let's have a look at what'smaking news around the world
this week in Mass TimberConstruction Land, as institutes

(01:33):
nationwide face mountingpressure to deliver student
housing that meets ambitioustargets for affordability,
sustainability and occupantwell-being, western Michigan
University's new 1,000-bed,270,000-square-foot resident
hall is a game-changing exampleof how projects and objectives
can be delivered and met byharnessing hybrid construction,

(01:56):
which marries mass timber withadvanced prefabrication
technique.
The project demonstrates fast,affordable and sustainable
housing to meet the mutuallyexclusive needs of students and
their accommodations whilstthey're at university.
If you'd like to have a look atthis amazing project, you know
where to head, and CBC News isreporting that mass timber is

(02:19):
now being used in industrialconstruction in Sudbury for the
first time.
A Sudbury developer says he'senjoyed using new types of
materials for building hisindustrial projects that provide
a difference to all otherbuildings in the surrounding
areas.
Based in Cambrian Heights, theproject is intended for use in

(02:41):
commercial and warehousepurposes, and the new building
will be fully leased on thehighway 69 south to Sudbury, and
it will look to build anotherin the west of the city when the
development comes online.
It's an impressive pathwayforward using mass timber in
industrial spaces.
We know that there are othersaround the world doing the same.

(03:02):
Let's see if this trendcontinues, because I think it's
quite an innovative approach,and I hope you do too.
I don't like to get intopolitical commentary when it
comes to the podcast.
However, there's an undeniablestirring happening in North
America and Canada, and thisreally does impact sustainable
architecture and affordablehousing when it comes to the

(03:25):
casualties of tariffs that arebeing laid, and it is important
to understand that low carbonbuilding and affordability in
housing.
Particularly being hit by theuncertainty around tariffs being
applied means that the marketsare plunged into chaos and this
creates unsettling times for thelong-term policy.
For things like the AmericanInstitute of Architects saying

(03:49):
that the way of moving forwardis using construction materials
that are sustainable is now in abit of doubt or in a bit of
question.
There is news that there's hopeon the horizon that things will
progress and things will revertback to a point where
sensibility kicks in.
We will all have to wait andsee what happens in supply

(04:11):
chains, but pressures on supplychains and mass timber are not
foreign, and if you want to readmore about this in interesting
area of policy, you can head toour linkedin feed.
And we've spoken about sweden'slargest wooden all wooden city
in stockholm, spanning 250 000square meters.

(04:31):
Stockholm wood city will be theworld's largest wood built
urban urban city, at anestimated cost of $1.4 billion,
according to the website.
The project, which is locatedin Stockholm, which has been
under construction since October2024, and the first phase of
the city is expected to becompleted at the end of this

(04:52):
year, 2025.
The city is expected to include2,000 residential units by 2027
and it will have a high schoolspace for approximately 7,000
office spaces, shops,restaurants, cultural venues all
within walking distance of eachother.
It's an impressive project.
If you want to learn more aboutit, we posted something on it
two days ago, so head to ourLinkedIn feed.

(05:15):
The American Wood Council hasreleased an updated version of
its connection calculator.
The calculator supports usersby calculating capacities for
bolts and nails and large screwsin accordance with the 2024
National Design Specificationfor Wood Construction ANSI, awc,
nds 2024.

(05:35):
The key update includes addingdesign provisions for
calculating fastener headpull-through and nails and wood
screws, and the addition ofexplicit lateral design
provisions for smooth shankmetal hardware nails and
deformed shank nails.
If you want to hear more aboutthat, head to the American Wood
Council.
You can read some articles onthat and take a walk through the

(05:57):
additions to the calculator.
And that's it, folks.
That's all we've got time forthis week in Mass Timber
Construction Land.
We hope that you have a greatEaster.
If you are celebrating.
If not, have a relaxing time.
I'll catch you next week.
That's what's making newsaround the world this week.
Don't forget to hit subscribe.
If you've got a manuscript thatyou want to put into an
international journal for peerreview, please head to our

(06:20):
LinkedIn feed and you can getthe link to the Mass Timber
Construction Journal.
Or you can head straight tomasstimberconstructioncom and
you'll go straight to thewebsite so you can submit.
Good morning, good afternoon orgood evening, wherever you are
in the world, have a great week.
Catch up with you next week.
This is paul cramer signing offon the mass timber construction

(06:42):
podcast.
Thank you, bye.