2026 Agenda

This course examines evidence-based design strategies and integrated project delivery for mass timber in contemporary K-12 learning environments. Through research findings and project case studies, participants will explore how exposed mass timber, biophilic design principles, daylighting, acoustical comfort, and resilient structural systems contribute to occupant well-being while supporting safe, durable, and adaptable educational facilities.

The session begins with findings from Seattle’s Alki Elementary School, where post-occupancy research is evaluating how exposed wood, natural light, acoustics, and strong connections to nature influence student engagement, comfort, belonging, and learning outcomes. The discussion then examines the Rosa O. Valdes STEM + Innovation Center at Greenhill School, highlighting how early integration of mass timber enabled the project team to achieve goals for sustainability, flexibility, resilience, life-safety, and collaborative STEM education while addressing material procurement and project delivery challenges.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how biophilic design strategies, exposed mass timber, daylighting, and acoustical design can influence occupant well-being, student engagement, and learning outcomes in educational facilities.
2. Evaluate how mass timber structural systems contribute to safe, resilient, and adaptable K–12 learning environments, including considerations for life safety, long-term flexibility, and building performance.
3. Apply lessons learned from post-occupancy research and completed mass timber school projects to inform the planning, design, and specification of code-compliant educational facilities that support the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants.

As New England faces increasing demand for affordable housing, mass timber construction offers an opportunity to address housing needs while supporting sustainable forest management, regional manufacturing, and resilient building practices. This course explores the relationship between forest health, regional wood supply chains, and the use of mass timber in multi-family and affordable housing applications.

Participants will gain an overview of current initiatives to expand markets for locally sourced wood products and examine how these efforts support both forest resilience and the built environment. The course reviews design precedents for mass timber housing, highlighting strategies that improve construction efficiency, optimize project costs, and enhance occupant well-being. It also presents research on affordable housing demand throughout the Northeast and evaluates the potential role of mass timber in meeting future housing needs. Through case studies and market data, attendees will learn how thoughtful material selection and integrated design approaches can support healthy, durable, and sustainable housing while strengthening regional wood supply chains.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how sustainable forest management, regional wood supply chains, and mass timber manufacturing contribute to resilient communities and the delivery of affordable housing.
2. Evaluate design strategies demonstrated in mass timber housing precedents that improve construction efficiency, occupant well-being, and overall building performance.
3. Assess current and projected affordable housing needs in the Northeast and analyze how mass timber construction can help address housing demand while supporting sustainable development goals.
4. Identify opportunities to incorporate mass timber into multi-family and affordable housing projects based on regional market conditions, available resources, and evidence from recent research and case studies.

Mass timber construction depends on prefabricated components manufactured to precise tolerances, leaving little room for field modification. This session examines how delegated design, shop drawings, fabrication models, and BIM-based constructability reviews support safe and efficient project delivery.

Attendees will learn how architects, engineers, contractors, specialty trades, and fabricators can coordinate connections, penetrations, tolerances, sequencing, logistics, and installation requirements before fabrication. Common coordination failures and practical digital workflows will illustrate how early collaboration can reduce RFIs, rework, schedule delays, and jobsite safety risks.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain how delegated design responsibilities and clearly defined scopes support the structural integrity, code compliance, and safe construction of mass timber buildings.
2. Identify the design and coordination of information required in construction documents, shop drawings, and fabrication models to prevent conflicts involving connections, penetrations, tolerances, and building systems.
3. Evaluate BIM-based constructability workflows for addressing erection sequencing, crane access, site logistics, temporary conditions, and installation safety before fabrication begins.
4. Apply coordination milestones and communication protocols that reduce RFIs, rework, fabrication errors, and field modifications while improving schedule reliability and occupant safety.

Using the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music as a case study, this session explores how mass timber and healthy material selection can improve indoor environmental quality, occupant well-being, and building performance in institutional projects.

Attendees will examine how cross-laminated timber (CLT), glued-laminated timber (glulam), and carefully selected interior finish materials were incorporated into a high-performance building designed to support occupant health while protecting sensitive archival collections. The session will cover specific low-emitting products, evaluation of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, material compliance documentation, and strategies for integrating material transparency, supply chain considerations, and green building certification requirements into the design and construction process. Attendees will learn practical approaches for informed specification decisions that enhance indoor environmental quality, occupant health, and the long-term durability and performance of institutional buildings.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how mass timber structural systems and low-emitting interior materials can contribute to improved indoor environmental quality, occupant health, and long-term building performance in institutional facilities.
2. Evaluate material selection strategies, including the specification of low-VOC products and compliance with recognized emissions standards, to support healthy interior environments and project performance goals.
3. Identify methods for incorporating material transparency, environmental product documentation, and supply chain considerations into the design and specification process to support sustainable and resilient building outcomes.
4. Apply lessons learned from the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music to inform the planning, specification, and coordination of mass timber buildings that promote occupant health, protect sensitive building functions, and support the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants.

Housing shortages, evolving land-use policies, and the need to reduce the environmental impacts of construction are driving demand for innovative timber building systems and more resilient supply chains. This session will explore two complementary approaches to scaling timber construction: a developer-led off-site housing platform that leverages standardized timber systems for deployment across diverse regulatory environments, and Scotland’s collaborative effort to develop a homegrown mass timber industry through research, product innovation, and commercialization.

Looking at real-world case studies, attendees will examine how standardized design, prefabrication, integrated project delivery, and regional material sourcing can improve construction efficiency, building performance, and sustainability while reducing project risk. Participants will leave with practical strategies for advancing scalable timber construction, strengthening local supply chains, and delivering safe, high-performance buildings that respond to changing housing and environmental needs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how standardized off-site timber construction, integrated project delivery, and supportive public policies can improve housing delivery, construction quality, and occupant health, safety, and welfare.
2. Explain how regional timber supply chains, product innovation, and collaborative partnerships among industry, government and academia support the development and commercialization of sustainable timber building systems.
3. Identify strategies for integrating prefabrication, standardized design, and locally sourced timber products to improve construction efficiency, reduce project risk, and support high-performance buildings.
4. Evaluate how scalable timber housing platforms and regional mass timber manufacturing initiatives can enhance environmental performance, strengthen supply chain resilience, and expand the use of timber construction in diverse markets.

As mass timber construction expands across North America, its application for civic projects in dense urban environments presents unique technical, logistical, and regulatory challenges. This presentation examines the New Lots Branch Library, a new 25,000-square-foot public library designed as a replacement for an existing mid-century branch in Brooklyn, New York. The session will explore the realities of delivering a mass timber civic building within New York City’s complex construction environment. Topics include early design assist collaboration with fabricators and envelope consultants, coordination between the timber structure and a high-performance façade system, urban site and staging constraints, and the integration of building systems within a public-sector project delivery framework.

Attendees will gain practical insight into how mass timber systems can be integrated into civic architecture while balancing constructability, code compliance, procurement, scheduling, and architectural ambition. The presentation will focus on lessons learned, interdisciplinary coordination workflows, and strategies transferable to other urban mass timber construction projects. The New Lots Library was one of seven projects selected by the NYC EDC to participate in their inaugural Mass Timber Studio.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the key design, code, and construction considerations associated with delivering mass timber civic buildings in dense urban environments, including strategies for maintaining life safety, structural performance, and regulatory compliance.
2. Evaluate interdisciplinary coordination strategies between the mass timber structural system, building enclosure, and building systems that support durable, high-performing, and safe public buildings.
3. Explore project delivery approaches that facilitate successful integration of mass timber into public-sector civic projects, including design-assist collaboration, procurement strategies, and coordination among architects, engineers, contractors, and manufacturers.
4. Apply lessons learned from the New Lots Branch Library project to inform the planning, detailing, and execution of future mass timber civic projects.

Join leading economists and market analysts as they examine the forces shaping the construction industry in 2026 and beyond. This session explores forecasts across commercial, institutional, office, and multi-family sectors, highlighting key demand drivers, investment trends, demographic shifts, and regional market dynamics.

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how economic conditions, policy changes, labor availability, and capital markets may influence project planning and business decisions in the years ahead.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze current economic indicators and forecasts affecting commercial construction markets.
2. Identify key drivers and constraints influencing growth across major building sectors.
3. Evaluate how demographic, technological, and regional trends are shaping future construction demand.
4. Assess the impact of financing conditions, project costs, and capital availability on development activity.

This session explores the intricate coordination required to integrate HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems within mass timber construction. Drawing on lessons from three recent higher education projects with different mechanical systems, presenters will compare logistical, relative cost, and performance characteristics and advantages of each approach while demonstrating how early design collaboration and digital modeling can ensure the systems complement the expressive qualities of timber architecture.

Participants will gain insight into strategies for routing and sequencing systems within cross-laminated timber and glulam assemblies, managing penetrations, and maintaining fire ratings while preserving the material’s visual integrity. The session will also examine the importance of early subcontractor engagement, prefabrication planning, and trade sequencing to minimize field conflicts and rework.

Learning Objectives:

1. Evaluate strategies for integrating mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems within mass timber buildings while maintaining structural integrity, fire-resistance ratings, and occupant safety.
2. Compare the performance characteristics, constructability considerations, and relative cost implications of different mechanical system approaches used in mass timber buildings to support informed design decisions that enhance building performance and occupant welfare.
3. Identify coordination methods, including digital modeling, prefabrication planning, and early interdisciplinary collaboration, that reduce field conflicts, improve construction quality, and minimize risks affecting building safety and long-term performance.
4. Apply best practices for routing building services, managing penetrations, and sequencing construction activities to preserve the durability, fire performance, and architectural integrity of exposed mass timber assemblies while supporting code compliance and occupant health, safety, and welfare.

Mass timber is increasingly being considered for student housing because it can enhance occupant experience while supporting ambitious goals for cost, schedule, and sustainability. Using two landmark residence hall projects—Colby College’s 110,000-square-foot residence hall, the largest mass timber building completed in Maine, and Western Michigan University’s 270,000-square-foot Valley Oaks Residence Hall—this session examines how early project decisions, interdisciplinary collaboration, and hybrid structural systems can improve building performance, construction efficiency, and occupant experience.

Participants will explore the design decisions that led to the hybrid structural approach, including fire-resistance strategies, structural detailing, embodied carbon considerations, and the integration of exposed wood to enhance occupant well-being through biophilic design. The session will also highlight lessons learned in shop drawing coordination, MEP integration, constructability, and maintaining design intent while responding to cost, schedule, and supply-chain constraints. Attendees will gain practical strategies for delivering safe, durable, and high-performing mass timber residential buildings through early interdisciplinary collaboration and coordinated project delivery.

Learning Objectives:

1. Evaluate the benefits of hybrid mass timber structural systems for student housing, including considerations related to structural performance, fire resistance, constructability, and occupant safety.
2. Identify key design and detailing strategies for integrating CLT, light-frame wood framing, steel, and concrete while maintaining code compliance, durability, and long-term building performance.
3. Describe approaches for coordinating MEP systems, shop drawings, and interdisciplinary project teams early in the design process to improve construction efficiency and reduce field conflicts.
4. Explain how mass timber can contribute to healthier, more sustainable residential buildings through reduced embodied carbon, exposed wood finishes, and biophilic design while balancing cost, procurement, and project delivery considerations.

Successful mass timber projects depend on more than accurate pricing—they require informed decisions throughout design, procurement, and construction. This session brings together experienced contractors to discuss the practical considerations that influence project cost, schedule, risk management, and delivery.

Panelists will share lessons learned from completed projects, explore how procurement and contracting strategies affect project outcomes, and identify opportunities for stronger collaboration between design and construction teams. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to help deliver mass timber projects more efficiently and with greater cost certainty.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review available resources for accurately pricing mass timber projects, including key elements of a bid and contractual project delivery options.
2. Analyze different project delivery methods for mass timber construction, understanding their financial implications, and how to choose the most suitable approach for your project.
3. Recognize contractor best practices that improve constructability, cost certainty, and schedule performance through effective planning and coordination.
4. Review strategies to effectively implement best practices in the costing and delivery of mass timber projects to improve overall project outcomes and ensure economic sustainability.

Biotechnology manufacturing facilities present unique design challenges due to stringent regulatory requirements, specialized building systems, and demanding structural performance criteria. This course examines the design and construction of Warp 10, a 196,000-square-foot pharmaceutical manufacturing facility that utilizes a mass timber structural system while pursuing zero embodied carbon goals.

Participants will explore how the project team balanced Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) requirements, large clear spans, moisture management during construction, and the use of wood products in highly controlled environments. The course also reviews structural and enclosure design decisions, including the integration of mass timber framing, timber curtain walls, and durable wood cladding systems to meet performance, durability, and sustainability objectives. Through this case study, attendees will gain practical insights into applying mass timber in industrial and life sciences facilities while addressing carbon reduction goals, building performance, and long-term resilience.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the structural, regulatory, and operational requirements that influence the design of mass timber pharmaceutical manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
2. Evaluate strategies for integrating mass timber systems into facilities with cGMP clean rooms, laboratories, and large clear-span spaces while maintaining building performance and occupant safety.
3. Assess moisture management, enclosure, and material selection strategies that improve the durability and long-term performance of mass timber buildings during construction and operation.
4. Analyze design decisions that reduce embodied carbon while meeting the functional, structural, and environmental performance requirements of industrial and life sciences facilities.

This session explores the Chief Leonard George Building—Canada’s first mixed-use tall mass timber Passive House project—and how the architectural, structural engineering, and building enclosure teams coordinated its design and construction.

Attendees will examine how a prefabricated mass timber structure, mass timber envelope panels, and high-performance Passive House strategies were coordinated to create a safe, durable, energy-efficient, and culturally responsive building. Topics include the tall timber structural system, integration of prefabricated enclosure components, and the building science principles used to support thermal performance, airtightness, moisture control, indoor air quality, and occupant comfort. Presenters will also discuss how robotic premanufacturing and coordinated off-site fabrication reduced construction waste, site traffic, noise, and installation risk while improving dimensional accuracy and construction efficiency.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe how the structural, architectural, and building enclosure systems of a tall mass timber building can be integrated to meet life-safety, durability, and building performance requirements.
2. Evaluate Passive House design strategies for airtightness, thermal continuity, moisture management, indoor air quality, and occupant comfort in a mixed-use mass timber building.
3. Identify how prefabrication, robotic manufacturing, and coordinated installation planning can improve construction accuracy, reduce site impacts, and mitigate risks associated with tall mass timber construction.
4. Apply lessons from the Chief Leonard George Building to the planning and design of code-compliant tall mass timber projects that support structural safety, enclosure resilience, environmental performance, cultural responsiveness, and occupant well-being.

Mass timber projects often rely on early manufacturer involvement through design-assist or negotiated delivery. In contrast, publicly bid and other competitively procured projects require a different approach—one that accommodates multiple manufacturers with varying species, panel sizes, and layup limitations.

This session examines practical strategies for delivering mass timber projects under design-bid-build and competitive procurement frameworks. Using real project experience, presenters will discuss specification, detailing, and coordination techniques that support competitive bidding while maintaining performance, code compliance, and design intent. Attendees will gain actionable insights into reducing risk and increasing flexibility when bringing mass timber to public-sector projects.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify key challenges associated with delivering mass timber projects through design-bid-build and other competitive procurement methods, particularly in public-sector work.
2. Evaluate strategies for developing performance-based specifications and details that accommodate multiple mass timber manufacturers with varying species, panel sizes, and layup limitations.
3. Apply design and documentation approaches that support competitive bidding while maintaining structural performance, fire resistance, and code compliance for mass timber systems.
4. Recognize coordination best practices between architects, engineers, contractors, and manufacturers that reduce procurement risk and improve constructability in publicly bid mass timber projects.

As the building industry pursues meaningful decarbonization, mass timber has emerged as one of the most immediate strategies for reducing the embodied carbon of the structural system. Drawing on WoodWorks’ Mass Timber Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Series, this presentation examines four U.S. reference projects: Return to Form, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Supervisor’s Office, the Burwell Center for Career Achievement, and a Denver office building. Each was benchmarked against a functionally equivalent steel or concrete alternative using whole-building life cycle assessment.

Findings are consistent and compelling. Mass timber structural systems delivered whole-building global warming potential (GWP) savings of 22 to 50 percent, rising even higher when isolating the superstructure and above-podium scopes. Every project realized a faster construction schedule, with mass timber alternatives completing up to 4.2 months ahead of conventional designs, while construction cost premiums remained modest at 0 to 7 percent. Biogenic carbon stored in the wood components offsets emissions equivalent to driving tens of millions of miles in a passenger vehicle. The session will translate these results into practical guidance for architects, engineers, developers, and owners working to align cost, schedule, and climate goals on real buildings.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain how whole building LCA is used to compare the embodied carbon performance of mass timber, steel, and concrete structural systems.
2. Interpret comparative LCA results to evaluate the effects of structural material selection on global warming potential (GWP) and biogenic carbon storage.
3. Assess the influence of mass timber structural systems on construction cost and project schedule using data from four case studies.
4. Apply findings from comparative LCAs to support material selection decisions that balance embodied carbon reduction, project cost, and construction efficiency.