Mass Timber Market Updates - Apr 2025 - Week Seventeen

Dive into the cutting-edge world of sustainable construction with the latest episode of the Mass Timber Construction Podcast! We're breaking down the most exciting developments happening globally in the mass timber space that are revolutionising how we think about building materials.

The spotlight this week falls on Rothoblas's Build the Impossible competition, which has opened registration for innovative hybrid structures featuring timber. This prestigious contest welcomes projects at any stage—from conceptual designs to completed buildings—with submissions open until September 15th. The competition has expanded its design criteria to include systems like Al-Umega Radial Ring and TC Fusion Lock, acknowledging that modern construction often requires strategic combinations of materials for optimal performance.

We explore several groundbreaking projects showcasing mass timber's versatility across North America. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has begun construction on their massive 395,000 square foot Philip A. Levy Engineering Centre, which will feature sustainable timber components. Cincinnati Public Radio has unveiled its stunning $32 million headquarters with exposed CLT elements and an impressive atrium. Meanwhile, the city of Bend is developing a $130 million public works campus with CLT ceilings and support beams that will bring together five municipal departments under one sustainably constructed roof.

Looking globally, we share updates about the breathtaking wooden timber ring being constructed for the 2025 Osaka Expo—a structure whose massive scale has to be seen to be believed. As we celebrate Earth Day, these projects represent tangible progress toward more environmentally responsible building practices. Check out our LinkedIn feed for impressive photos of these structures and don't forget to explore our newly released research paper if you're interested in the academic side of mass timber innovation. Like, subscribe, and join us as we continue tracking how timber is transforming the construction industry worldwide!

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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,

(00:28):
the undisputed heavyweightpodcast in the world the Mass
Timber Construction Podcast.
And now here's Paul Ramblin,your host.

(00:48):
Good morning, good afternoon orgood evening wherever you are
in the world today.
Welcome to the Mass Team ofConstruction podcast for another
week.
I hope you're keeping well.
Thank you for tuning in.
Make sure you like subscribe,share, comment on any of our
posts.
We really appreciate it, andwe've just had a release of a
new research paper on ouracademic arm, so please go check

(01:11):
that out if you're interestedin looking at mass timber
research.
We've got some exciting thingsto share with you on the show
today, so let's get into it.
Let's have a look at what'smaking news around the world
this week.
In mass timber construction land, and as announced on LinkedIn
and hinted at in the lastpodcast episode, rothobast has

(01:35):
the Build the Impossiblecompetition available now for
registration.
This year.
The competition is reallylooking at hybrid structures
with a prevalent use of timber.
We understand in industry thatmass timber itself is not the
only material.
It is one of many materials,and so they have opened up the

(01:56):
design criteria to includeAl-Umega Radial Ring, TC Fusion
Lock and Disc Flat, plus anyother solutions that you care to
use from the website.
You can use the resources tabon their website to download all
the information, and the aim ofthis particular initiative is

(02:20):
to promote the innovative use ofstrategically optimized
material choices in cutting edgestructures.
There are permitted projecttypes for this particular
competition and projects may besubmitted in all phases, from
preliminary design, final design, executive design, projects
under construction and completedprojects.

(02:42):
You can download a documentwhich has all the regulations
attached to it, including thespecification for the types of
projects, and it is animpressive competition.
Winners have been noted asbeing quite prestigious, as
having won this particular award.
There's also a list of all thejudges so you can see who will

(03:04):
be adjudicating as to what yourproject submission will be
assessed against in terms oftheir background.
So please go and check out allof that and the prizes you
probably want to know what theprizes are going to be.
Well, they're listed on thewebsite as well.
Are going to be Well, they'relisted on the website as well.

(03:26):
So if you go and have a look atbuildtheimpossiblerothoblastcom
buildtheimpossiblerothoblastcomthat would be the place to go
Now.
Important part stage oneregistration and collection of
all projects, which is possiblefrom the 25th of the 3rd, which
is March, and the deadline forregistration of your project is

(03:48):
the 15th of September this year.
So you've got plenty of time toget yourself in order and we
will keep you updated as newsand information comes to hand.
So get on top of it.
Build the impossible.
Rutherblast competitionfantastic.
Get involved.
And the University ofWisconsin-Madison has broken

(04:08):
ground on the new engineeringbuilding after a funding fight
that saw the new structure usedas a political bargaining chip.
However, in the end, it willfeature a mass timber building
with sustainable components.
The 395,000 square foot PhilipA Levy Engineering Centre will
occupy a 2.5 acre site in theheart of the school's

(04:31):
engineering campus and wasannounced on April 17.
This is the third time theuniversity has constructed a new
engineering academic buildingover the last six decades to
meet the ever-growing demand.
Per the release that was givenaround the media reports for
this particular project, theuniversity features some images
of this brand new building.
So head there or head to ourLinkedIn feed.

(04:53):
And 21 months after Cincinnati,public Radio made a significant
stride forward with its brandnew office and studio Skanska
has delivered and christened a35,000 square foot, $32 million
headquarters that was made fromyou guessed it sustainable
construction material at thecutting edge, utilizing CLT or

(05:17):
mass timber.
Cutting edge utilizing CLT ormass timber.
The media release goes on totalk about how proud they are
about the building and the typesof savings that they get from
the use of mass timber.
The building is very impressive.
It has an amazing gray atriumwith exposed CLT elements,
aluminum curtain wall system andit has got glass all the way

(05:39):
through.
It's quite impressive.
So go and have a look at theimages online or head to our
LinkedIn feed, or head to theCincinnati Public Radio website.
And staying in the US now andBend has a new $130 million
public works package to delivertwo buildings.
To deliver two buildings, awarehouse-style structure and a

(05:59):
versatile administrative office,which will make up Bend's
future public works campus,which will bring together five
city departments to streamlineoperations for the growing city.
The $130 million project isfinishing in autumn or fall.
Construction began in 2023.
The new campus will be theworkplace for 250 city of bend

(06:22):
staff, including engineering,transport, utilities facilities
and fleet departments.
The 45 000 square footheadquarters will be in the
north entrance of the campus andit will have large office
spaces and it is going to beusing easy to clean concrete
floors, using CLT ceilings andsupport beams.

(06:44):
So it's going to be a hybridconstruction.
If you'd like to have a look atthe impressive photos, you know
where to head.
Head to our LinkedIn feed.
Finish up now.
There are more and more andmore photos coming out of the
2025 Osaka Expo and the largewooden timber ring.
There is incredibleconstruction photos.

(07:04):
This thing is absolutelyenormous.
If you'd like to see some more,head to our LinkedIn feed.
And it was Earth Day this week.
Last weekend it was Earth Day,so happy Earth Day to everybody,
belated that the podcastdoesn't come out on the actual
day.
It's a week later, but it hasbeen Earth Day, so

(07:24):
congratulations and that's it.
That's all we've got time forthis week in Mass Timber
Construction Land.
I hope you had a great week.
There's more to news to followin the future.
Don't forget head to the Buildthe Impossible Rothoblast
competition and make sure thatyou get your entries in.
Read all the details andspecifications for the project.
And it is a hybrid structurethis year.

(07:45):
A hybrid structure.
Good morning, good afternoon orgood evening, wherever you are
in the world today.
This is Paul Kramer signing offon the mass timber construction
podcast.
Thank you.