Mass Timber Market Updates - Mar 2025 - Week Twelve

The world of mass timber construction continues to evolve at breakneck speed, with groundbreaking innovations and substantial investments shaping our sustainable building future. This episode dives into several fascinating developments from around the globe, starting with a new PhD opportunity focused on user-centered, reconfigurable timber building systems—perfect for aspiring researchers looking to make their mark on this growing field.

We explore the remarkable Aiton 2 house by Manfred Lux in Germany, a monolithic cube that redefines ecological architecture through its completely dismantleable, glue-free timber construction. This prototype for adaptive, resource-efficient living demonstrates how digital fabrication and thoughtful design can create truly sustainable structures that can be fully disassembled and reused.

The podcast highlights Canada's significant commitment to forest innovation with the announcement of a $20 million investment supporting 67 projects in British Columbia's forest sector. Fast and Epp Structural Engineers received $170,000 for point-supported CLT testing and another $150,000 for their REACH design tool, while Forest Innovation Investment secured funding for nail-laminated timber research—all pointing to Canada's growing leadership in mass timber advancement.

We also share glimpses of the stunning Japan Pavilion planned for the 2025 Osaka Expo, described as a "living organism" and self-sustaining structure embodying transformation and reuse, along with HCMA Architecture's impressive Rosemary Brown Recreational Center in BC, which beautifully utilizes glulam beams and nail-laminated timber in its NHL-sized rink facility.

With the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland just days away (March 25-27), this episode serves as both a news update and a reminder of the incredible momentum building in the mass timber space. Subscribe to our podcast and follow our LinkedIn for ongoing updates from this dynamic industry that's literally building a more sustainable future!

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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,

(00:30):
the undisputed heavyweightpodcast in the world the Mass
Timber Construction Podcast.
And now here's Paul Ramblin,your host.
Good morning, good afternoon orgood evening wherever you are

(00:52):
in the world today, welcome tothe Mass Timber Construction
Podcast.
It is week number 12 of 2025.
Wow, the weeks are flying.
We are already a substantialway into the new year and the
Mass Timber Conference inPortland, oregon, is just around
the corner.
Are flying.
We are already a substantialway into the new year and the
mass timber conference inportland, oregon, is just around
the corner 25th to 27th ofmarch, which is this week that's

(01:13):
coming up.
So if you've got your ticketsand your hotel booked and you've
got your conferenceregistration, you're set for an
amazing time in port in Oregon,where the international mass
timber community comes togetherto meet, to share, to talk about
, to create friendships,collaborations and, of course,

(01:34):
learn.
So go well if you're at thatevent and plan your time
carefully.
Over 200 plus exhibitors,amazing workshops and, of course
, arnie will be on the big stagetalking to you about wood being
good.
Let's have a look at what'smaking news around the world
this week in mass timberconstruction, land and out of

(01:55):
the gate.
Today, the first topic for thisparticular podcast is a PhD
position has become available onuser-centered, reconfigurable
timber building systems.
The deadline is the 31st ofMarch.
If you jump on our LinkedInfeed, you'll be able to get all
the details and you may be thelucky recipient as long as your

(02:18):
grades are good of this PhD,probably including stipend, but
for more information,information, please head to our
linkedin feed and look up thephd position that is available.
An incredible project inalksberg in germany, which is a
monolithic cube in traditionalorchard near alksberg in germany

(02:40):
, and it's a house called Aiton2 by Manfred Lux.
The collaboration redefinesecological architecture through
dismantleable, glue-free timberconstruction designed as a
prototype for adaptive,resource-efficient living.
The structure relies ondigitally fabricated wooden
frame and forges new metalfasteners, ensuring complete

(03:04):
disassembly and reuse.
The house is based on an 80centimeter structural grid
allowing for variations inlength and height, its serial
construction principle making itscalable as a one to three
story dwelling.
If you want to have a look atthis incredible house called
Anton, you will be able to headto our LinkedIn feed and see the

(03:27):
article there and whilst thereis a lot of uncertainty in the
world right now, there is nouncertainty as the Canadian
government has announced aninvestment exceeding $20 million
to support 67 projects aimed atstrengthening British
Columbia's forest sector.
The funding unveiled by theminister said it will enhance

(03:50):
competitiveness, sustainabilityand resilience in the industry.
Among those projects, goodfriends to the podcast, fast and
Ebb Structural Engineersreceived $170,000 for its post
and panel project, which focuseson point-supported CLT testing
to improve building codeadoption.

(04:10):
Additionally, the Reach designtool developed by FastSnap
engineers got another $150,000Canadian to offer a web
application for designers tocomplete structural and carbon
performance assessment acrossconstruction systems.
Congratulations to everybodyinvolved.
Other good friends of ours,forest Innovation Investment

(04:35):
received 115,000 Canadian tolook at Canadian nail laminated
timber.
So you can see that there is alot going on in the mass timber
space in Canada at the moment.
Congratulations to all 67recipients of the grant money.
It is great to see theprogression in Canada.
Let's bring it on in otherplaces all around the world.

(04:58):
And impressive, impressiveimages of the Japan Pavilion at
the 2025 Osaka Expo, which is aliving organism.
This particular design for theJapan Pavilion is a
self-sustaining structure thatembodies the idea of continuous
transformation and reuse.
It is a beautiful piece ofrender at the moment until,

(05:22):
obviously, they create it infull.
I'm sure that it's underwayright now, but if you'd like to
go and have a look at therendered drawings of the
schematic that has been producedfor the Japan's Expo Pavilion,
please head to our LinkedIn feed.
Please head to our LinkedInfeed, and HCMA Architecture and

(05:44):
Design present the RosemaryBrown Recreational Center.
The Rosemary Brown RecreationalCenter in Barnaby, british
Columbia, was envisaged by HCMAArchitecture and Design, and the
building represents a modernre-imagining of a traditional
ice arena, as it blendshigh-performance sports
facilities with a welcomingcommunity hub.

(06:05):
This particular $459 milliondevelopment spans 91,999 square
feet and it has an NHL-sizedrink that has arranged in a
large L shape for the building,with a central lobby that
connects the services to vibrantgathering spaces.

(06:28):
The north-facing floor areas ofthe rink have daylight
comprising of ice quality withthe use of materials such as
glulam beams and nail laminatedtimber enhances the space and
the acoustic qualities and, ofcourse, the aesthetic appearance
of this multi-purpose facility.

(06:48):
So if you'd like to seeimpressive photos of this
finished structure, please headto our linkedin feed.
And that's it, folks.
That's all we've got time forthis week in mass timber
construction land.
Get along to the internationalmass timber conference.
If you don't, I'm sure thatthere will be a lot of people
posting on and about it duringits uh success in 25th to 27th

(07:13):
of uh this month, march, soyou're looking at four days time
uh.
It will be in a full swing uhand coming to an end.
So if you are not going toPortland Oregon, stay tuned.
We might have some updates thatare coming through and
certainly check out LinkedIn.
Please hit subscribe.
Make sure you like, comment,share, post any of our content.

(07:35):
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, bye.