Mass Timber Market Updates - May 2025 - Week TwentyOne

Celebrating a major milestone this week as we hit 30,000 followers on LinkedIn! From our humble beginnings in 2018 to becoming a global voice in sustainable construction, we're grateful for every member of our community dedicated to understanding mass timber construction worldwide.

The innovation landscape is buzzing with groundbreaking developments. Sterling Structural has unveiled a game-changing modular mass timber shaft wall system for multi-level construction projects—prefabricated CLT panels with integrated shaft walls that simplify elevator installation while maintaining sustainability credentials. Meanwhile, Rotterdam showcases its architectural evolution with the completion of its first mass timber residential building, featuring 82 reasonably priced apartments across two staggered wings rising 10 and 14 stories high. The exposed CLT soffits and beam systems create a striking visual testament to timber's structural and aesthetic potential.

New York City is making bold moves with plans for its largest mass timber residential project on Staten Island, a 500-unit development with 25% designated as affordable housing. California State University celebrates the completion of its first mass timber building at Chico State—a $14.5 million facility where engineered wood creates both structural integrity and biophilic warmth. Most intriguing perhaps is the emergence of "Super Wood" from startup Inventwood—a material claiming 50% more tensile strength than steel with 90% lower carbon emissions, potentially heralding the next evolution in sustainable construction materials. With Simon Fraser University breaking ground on an eight-story mass timber student residence, it's clear that engineered wood is transforming how we build across all sectors.

Join us weekly as we continue tracking the revolution reshaping construction worldwide. Whether you're an architect, engineer, developer, or simply fascinated by sustainable building, there's never been a more exciting time to explore the possibilities of mass timber.

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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 the

(00:28):
undisputed heavyweight podcastin the world the Mass Timber
Construction Podcast.
And now here's Paul Kramer,your host.
Good morning, good afternoon orgood evening wherever you are

(00:52):
in the world today.
Welcome to the Mass TimberConstruction Podcast.
My name is Paul Kramer, yourhost, and we just want to say a
massive thank you to our 30,000followers on our LinkedIn page.
Yes, we hit this milestone thisweek.
That's, 30,000 global followersfrom the AEC community, all
dedicated to understanding morearound mass timber construction

(01:16):
at a global level.
So thank you to everybody whocontributes to our online social
media presence.
We started back in 2018, thestart of 2018.
It's now many, many years pastand we're very thankful for all
the support.
Thank you very much.
Let's have a look at what'smaking news around the world
this week in mass timberconstruction, land and Sterling

(01:39):
Structural Manufacturerprefabricated mass timber and
hybrid structural components inNorth America has launched its
modular mass timber shaft wallsystem for multi-level
construction projects.
The new system is aprefabricated CLT panel with
shaft walls and, in some cases,a roof, along with coordinated
connection details and all thenecessary hardware that you need

(02:03):
to make it easy to installelevator shafts in a project.
If you'd like to know more, youknow where to head.
Sterling structural is thewebsite, and powerhouse company
completes rotterdam's first masstimber residential project.
The mass timber residentialstructure has officially been
completed with 82 reasonablypriced rental apartments in its

(02:26):
famous post-war neighborhood andis part of the project by
powerhouse company, commissionedby the wood stand rutter dam,
with two staggered wings rising10 and 14 stories high.
The high-rise building by thearchitects design was a novelty
in the neighborhood at the timeand greatly helped by the ease

(02:49):
of acute post-war housingscarcity.
Now, this new design of thestaggered volume building
creates this open-air characterthat is derived from the
thoughtful placement of low-riseand high-rise buildings in a
communal outdoor area situatedin a green space.
If you'd like to have a look atthis impressive project, it's

(03:11):
very, very good.
You can see exposed CLT on thesoffit over the veranda areas
and exposed beam systems.
It's an incredible project.
I urge you to go and have alook at our LinkedIn feed or
head to worldarchitectureorg andlook for the Powerhouse Company
Completes Rotterdam's FirstMass Timber Residential Building
.

(03:32):
And last week, mayor Eric Adamsof New York City's Economic
Development Corporation,president and CEO Andrew Kimball
, announced a Manhattan-basedconstruction firm, artemis, and
the Phoenix Realty Group thathad led construction and
development efforts in the newStapleton waterfront area with
an upcoming mixed-incomeresidential complex, two vacant

(03:54):
parcels of land in Stapleton onStaten Island Designed by GF55
Architects.
The development will yield 500units, with around 25% designed
as affordable for family homesearning between 40 and 80
percent in the area, based onmedian income.
The project will be set tobecome the largest mass timber
residential project in New YorkCity and situated between Front

(04:18):
Street and Stapleton Waterfront.
The main rendering, which is inour LinkedIn feed you can have
a look at.
It, shows two close-up views ofthe facade, while also showing
a composition of light greypanelling, framing, floored
ceiling windows and recessedterraces with glass railings
Impressive render images.
If you want to go and have alook, you can head to our

(04:40):
LinkedIn feed.
We've got a link to the articlethere and our good friends to
the podcast Swinderton slashTimber Lab have completed
California State University'sfirst mass timber building at
Chico State.
Mass timber delivers a practicalsolution and this news report
details exactly what theydelivered in a design-build

(05:00):
partnership with DreyfusBlackford Architects.
The $14.5 million22,132-square-foot two-story
facility consolidates campusoperations into a single
efficient, forward-lookingstructure.
Mass timber elementsorchestrated by Timberlabs serve
as both a sustainable andaesthetic choice.
Elements orchestrated by timberlab servers both a sustainable

(05:22):
and aesthetic choice, embracingthe workplace space with
biophilic warmth andsignificantly reduced embodied
carbon.
Go and check out our linkedinfeed and you'll be able to see
this impressive project.
And I met the startup inventwoodin portland, oregon many years
ago when they were exhibiting.
They have now come up with anew product which they now call
super wood, a material that theybelieve is stronger and lighter

(05:45):
than steel, with 90 percent thelower carbon emissions compared
to widely used alloys.
According to the firm, it'ssuper wood has a 50 percent more
tensile strength compared tosteel, has minimal expansion and
contraction for class a firerating all the crucial details
for architects who might somedayuse super wood in their

(06:07):
buildings.
The startup has alreadyreceived 15 million dollars in
series, a funding which will gostraight towards setting up the
company's first factory for theproduct.
So watch this space for superwood.
It might be the next evolutionin timber and construction.
Watch this space.
Very innovative product and SFUSimon Fraser University has

(06:32):
officially commencedconstruction on its new
eight-story student residence atits Barnaby campus, making a
significant step forward inongoing housing expansion.
The latest development, knownas phase three, will introduce
445 additional beds.
Additionally, it will compriseof six self-contained studios,
four bedroom apartments, two andfour bedroom townhouses

(06:55):
designed with sustainability inmind, using you-know-what mass
timber construction.
So fantastic project $196million to see this study
lounges, laundry room, communalkitchen, eight-story building on
the campus come to life.
So go and check out the rendersat our LinkedIn feed.

(07:17):
It's due for completion inautumn 2027.
That's it, folks.
That's all we've got time forthis week.
In Mass Timber Construction LandA lot going on.
Those are the top stories fromaround the world.
Thank you to our 30k followers,subscribers to our LinkedIn
feed.
We really do appreciate yoursupport.
Thank you for supporting thispodcast and we look forward to

(07:37):
bringing you more news as theweeks roll through 2025.
Good morning, good afternoon orgood evening, wherever you are
in the world today, this is PaulCramer signing off on the Mass
Timber Construction Podcast.
Thank you you.