Timber Utilization in Modern Structures

5 kg CO₂e/m²/year?! Ripple Residence has raised the bar (and yes - it’s made of timber). We all talk about the ambition to build low-carbon structures out of biobased materials, but what does it really take to achieve that? Fire safety is always a priority. But one of the biggest challenges, and often the most overlooked, is acoustics. In timber construction, meeting sound regulations - i.e. how much you hear your neighbor - is hard, especially without relying on concrete. But at Ripple Residence, we wanted to prove it could be done differently. So, how did we approach it? We built a full-scale mock-up of two floors directly on-site. Then, we carefully layered each component, with a clear purpose behind every choice: fire safety or sound insulation. No fluff. The results? → No concrete in the horizontal slab → Sound Class C between apartments → Class B with acoustic ceiling The final build-up: CLT slab + batten floor with floating screed (including heating/cooling) + two layers of gypsum underneath + timber floor on top. Is it nerdy? Absolutely. Is it game-changing for timber construction? We think so. 📄 The full acoustic report is free to download here: https://lnkd.in/dsZHm89N (Part of the “4 to 1 planet” initiative by Realdania and Villum Fonden) Massive thanks to our ambitious client Nrep, and the full team: Søren Jensen, CLT Denmark A/S, 5E Byg A/S, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Ramboll, DBI The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology, Taasinge Elementer, and Claus Riis. Project: https://lnkd.in/d8qPwsmg

How do we make mass timber better? Hybrid systems are popular, but what about hybrid MATERIALS? We went to Toronto to find out. Right now, mass timber runs into three limitations: 1. We (usually) pay a premium for it 2. We rely on a narrow slice of fiber baskets 3. Spans and grids limit where it can compete The industry’s answer so far has been hybrid systems - pairing timber with steel or concrete to compensate. That works. But it’s still a workaround. What if we asked a different question… What if we improved the material itself? We went to Toronto to look at something challenging the assumptions baked into construction - hybrid materials - not just hybrid buildings. GripMetal is thin-gauge metal with thousands of hooks that mechanically lock into wood fiber adding stiffness, ductility and shear performance. Think rebar for wood. It enables longer spans, smaller members - lower costs for greater performance. And before you go shouting about putting metal in wood, know this. - You can still cut it. - You can still drill through it - Fire & vibration are being testing - Manufacturing lines would need very little modification That could change the conversation about mass timber. For designers… What if spans increased without increasing member size? For manufacturers… What if low-grade lumber could perform like premium lamstock? For the industry… What if cost came down because performance went up? That’s what Grip Metal is doing. And it already has a track record. GripMetal originates from an industry with the highest safety standards  - automotive braking systems. And they have over a billion units in service with zero failures. Rothoblaas is using it today for timber-to-timber connections in Europe. And now, teams in North America are testing what happens when it’s integrated directly into beams and panels. They’re working alongside Toronto Metropolitan University, WZMH Architects, sparkbird, and Salas O’Brien to answer one core question: Can reinforcing wood change how mass timber scales? Because if we can decrease costs, increase performance, and allow for more and better fiber utilization - that opens up a lot of opportunity for mass timber. Early results say we can. We’re already working with glulam producers to test GripMetal inside real, commercial beam products. And we’re looking for more partners to see just how far it can go. That means full-scale testing with: Different products Different species. Different grades. Different assemblies. And it only happens with forward-thinking manufacturers, engineers, and architects who are willing to test new material strategies,  not just design around old constraints. It’s an open R&D chapter. So watch the video. And then shoot me a message if you’re one of those forward thinking types of people looking to advance the industry and have something to try. 

Mass Timber’s Edge: Smaller Crews, Quicker Builds, New Floors Above Mass timber has already proven itself on climate grounds. What is now clear is that its biggest advantage may be time and labor. Buildings go up faster, with smaller, more specialized crews, and the savings show up not just in costs but in financing, disruption, and entirely new markets like rooftop extensions. CleanTechnica article in series: https://lnkd.in/gPT3bP_i The evidence is piling up. Murray Grove in London went up in 27 working days with four carpenters. Brock Commons in Vancouver, 18 storeys in 66 days with nine installers. T3 in Minneapolis, 180,000 square feet in nine weeks with a dozen framers. Forté in Melbourne, 10 storeys in 10 weeks with five people. In each case, concrete would have taken twice as long with four to six times as many workers. Concrete spreads tasks across dozens of trades. Mass timber collapses them into precision off-site fabrication and small on-site crews. On-site labor drops by up to 70%, while demand shifts to CNC operators, digital modelers, and timber framers. Canada’s construction industry, already strained by shortages, cannot ignore that shift. Lightweight timber also makes upward extensions viable. New floors have been added on top of concrete and brick structures in Washington, Boston, Paris, and London without expensive reinforcement or disruption. Rooftops become revenue. The financial case is obvious. Faster schedules reduce carrying costs. Smaller crews lower labor overhead. Lighter structures cut foundation and crane expenses. The benefits show up at the project level, not in line-item material costs. For Canada, mass timber is more than a climate solution. It is a way to deliver housing faster, ease labor bottlenecks, and compete globally with both products and know-how. But that means building a workforce of digital specialists and framers, aligning finance with the real cost profile of timber, and clearing regulatory paths for rooftop extensions. The opportunity is here. The question is whether Canada chooses to seize it.

One of my favorite building materials in the market right now is Mass timber. Mass timber is a “catch-all” term used to describe a a variety of engineered woods that can be utilized in building construction. The few most popular are Cross laminated Timber (CLT), Glue-Laminated Timber (Glulam), Nail Laminated Timber (NLT), and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL). A few quick facts about mass timber: These engineered products can be used as slabs, columns, beams and walls as substitutes to their steel and concrete counterparts. Individual pieces are manufactured offsite, cut to laser precision and sent as a kit to the job site, significantly decreasing construction times. Mass timber buildings are roughly 25% faster to build and require 90% less construction traffic. When using wood as a building material, the wood acts as a carbon sink. This means any CO2 that is sequestered by a tree as it grows is stored in the building in perpetuity, until it is destroyed. Steel and Concrete cannot do this - meaning a mass timber building is the only building that can remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Some studies have shown that using mass timber can reduce emissions associated with construction by 13-26%. Can be sourced locally, manufactured using locally grown timber. Promotes healthy forest management by incentivizing the removal of small diameter trees that present a wildfire hazard. The Global CLT industry is expected to have a market size of $3.56 Billion by 2030 It is incredibly fire resistant. A 5-ply CLT panel wall was subjected to temperatures exceeding 1,800 Fahrenheit and lasted 3 hours and 6 minutes (Building codes required a hour rating). During fires, exposed mass timber chars on the outside, which forms an insulating layer protecting interior wood from damage. Additionally, when the code requires mass timber to be protected with gypsum wall board, the mass timber can achieve nearly damage-free performance during a contents-fire burnout event. Recent mass timber buildings weigh approximately 1/5th  that of comparable concrete buildings, which in turn reduces their foundation size, inertial seismic forces and embodied energy. High strength-to-weight ratios enable mass timber to perform well during seismic activity. #timber #masstimber #architecture #design 📸:  "Mass is More", a installation project designed by Daniel Ibáñez and Vicente Guallart, from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), together with Alan Organschi from Bauhaus Earth (BE)

INNOVATING TIMBER CONSTRUCTION 🔩⚙️ The patented design redefines traditional assembly processes. Two semicircular plates can be pre-installed in the factory, reducing on-site work to the simple fastening of a few bolts. This streamlined approach accelerates installation, minimizes labor costs, and ensures effortless disassembly when needed, simplifying maintenance and enabling flexible reconfiguration of spaces. For projects demanding precision and adaptability, the system’s components allow tensile connections with high installation tolerance. These connections are fully concealed within wall thicknesses, preserving both the aesthetics and structural integrity of the construction while enhancing fire safety. This innovative solution provides robust and dependable joints for walls, beams, and columns. Its versatility makes it ideal for hybrid timber-to-steel structures and complex applications, including gerber saddles and hinge joints. Designed with modern architecture in mind, the system seamlessly integrates into prefabricated modular buildings, ensuring clean, modern lines that complement contemporary design trends. Manufactured from S355 carbon steel with a Fe/Zn12c surface treatment, it offers exceptional strength and durability, delivering outstanding long-term performance even in demanding environments. Applications and benefits 🚨🚨 This state-of-the-art solution is suitable for various structural configurations, excelling in: • Connections between CLT or LVL panels, providing resistance in all directions. • Hinge connections for glulam beams, ensuring stability and flexibility. • Prefabricated and demountable systems, promoting sustainable and efficient construction practices. Fields of use It can be applied to: • CLT or LVL walls and floors, offering seamless integration and structural support. • Solid timber, glulam, or LVL beams and columns, accommodating diverse project needs. By bridging the gap between innovation and practicality, this revolutionary connector system redefines how we approach timber construction. If you find video insightful, kindly reshare in your network ♻️ Follow me Charles Edidiong, CSM® for more updates on Construction methods and innovations 💯🚀 #Timberconstruction #ModernConstruction #BoltConnection #S355Carbonsteel #boltandnut

The new Sydney Fish Market hides one of the largest mass timber roofs in the world... Total size 65,000 m², (700,000 sq ft), the roof canopy stretches 200 m (656 ft), creating 20,000 m² (215,000 sq ft) undulating roof, that all weighs 2,500 tons or 5.5 million pounds. Supported by 594 glulam beams. Opening earlier this year at Blackwattle Bay, Sydney, Australia. It replaces the old market that has been operating since the 1960s. The roof flows across the site like a giant wave floating above the harbor, which is a nice architectural nod to an ocean market. But it's not just a pretty roof. The timber canopy creates a massive shaded space over the market hall, allowing the building to operate as a naturally ventilated structure. Airflow is critical in a fish market. Go to Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, WA. You’ll see what I mean. Instead of fully enclosing the space and blasting it with air conditioning, the roof allows air to move through the building, critical for a market that handles fresh seafood. The canopy integrates (3) energy efficient systems. - Solar panels - Daylight openings - Rainwater collection The project combines: - Glulam beams - Steel connections - Aluminum roof panels The timber provides the primary structure and architectural expression, while other materials step in where they perform better. This project shows that timber works in heavy civic infrastructure. Welcoming millions of visitors each year who come for restaurants, seafood markets, and waterfront views. Designed by internationally acclaimed Danish architects 3XN, in collaboration with BVN and Aspect Studios. Photos: 3XN, Archinect . . . . . Learn about Mass Timber construction Connected to our AEC + Developer newsletter Denver Mass Timber Group Summit August, 2026

Canada is rewriting the future of architecture with its boldest experiment yet — a skyscraper built almost entirely from wood. Using advanced cross-laminated timber (CLT), this tower is as strong as steel, fire-resistant, and far more sustainable than concrete. Each panel locks together to create a structural system that can withstand earthquakes and flames, while also storing carbon instead of releasing it. The environmental savings are staggering — experts say timber skyscrapers can cut construction-related emissions by up to 75% compared to traditional materials. Beyond sustainability, the design creates warmer, more natural spaces for people to live and work in — reshaping the feel of urban skylines. With projects like this, Canada is leading a global shift toward green cities, showing that the skyscrapers of tomorrow don’t need to come at the planet’s expense. #SustainableArchitecture #WoodenSkyscraper #GreenCities #CanadaInnovation #FutureOfConstruction

Last week, my Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning, University of Michigan URP 390 students heard from Jill Ramirez, Director of Projects at Three Squared, Inc. on sustainable development practices. The commercial real estate industry is at a turning point. As investors, tenants, and communities (as well as the next generation of developers) demand greener, more efficient spaces, sustainability is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s a fundamental pillar of long-term value creation. Two materials leading this shift are mass timber and structural insulated panels (SIPs). Both offer exciting opportunities to reduce carbon footprints while maintaining design flexibility and performance. 🌲Mass timber — including cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam — is transforming how we think about large-scale construction. Compared to concrete and steel, it offers: • Significant carbon savings, both through sequestration and reduced embodied energy. • Faster construction times, thanks to precision prefabrication. • Warmer, biophilic environments, which support occupant well-being and productivity. 🧱 Structural insulated panels (SIPs) combine an insulating foam core with structural facings, creating an airtight, highly efficient building envelope. Their benefits include: • Superior thermal performance and reduced operational energy use. • Reduced construction waste, since panels are factory-made to exact specifications. • Lower labor costs through simplified on-site assembly. SIPs are particularly effective for mixed-use and office developments that prioritize energy efficiency and indoor comfort. The integration of innovative materials like mass timber and SIPs with holistic design strategies can redefine how we measure success — not just in square footage, but in environmental and social impact. Sustainable development isn’t just good for the planet; it’s good business. Forward-thinking developers who invest in low-carbon materials and smarter construction methods are building not only for today, but for generations to come. Thank you, Jill, for sharing your time and expertise with our class of future leaders in sustainable development. #sustainability #sustainabledevelopment #prefabrication #construction #womenlead #commercialrealestate #netzero #nextgeneration Schenk & Bruetsch PLC

Mass timber is a category of engineered wood products made by layering and gluing pieces of wood together, offering a lighter, more sustainable alternative to concrete and steel. It is showing up in more real estate projects; not just cool architecture firms, but real-world multifamily, office, and mixed-use developments. Over 2,300+ mass timber projects have been constructed across the U.S. as of Q4 2024, with explosive growth since 2015. Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons from a developer/investor perspective: ✅ Pros – Sustainable: Stores carbon, not emits it. Great for ESG goals. – Faster to Build: Prefab means shorter construction timelines. – Looks Amazing: Warm, natural interiors tenants love. – Lighter Structure: Less weight = savings on foundation. – Fire Safe: Burns in a predictable way — often safer than people think. ❌ Cons – Code Issues: Some cities still catching up on tall timber rules. – Higher Upfront Cost: Prefab and materials can cost more early on. – Sound Insulation: Can be tricky in multifamily buildings. – Moisture Risk: Needs proper protection during and after build. – Limited Supply Chain: Not available everywhere (yet). What is your opinion on mass timber? *The image is from WoodWorks #Masstimber #Construction #Multifamily #RealEstateDevelopment