How Engineered Wood Products Are Changing the Way We Build

These innovative mass timber projects are changing the way we think about building with wood. 

Wood has been the go-to building material since the dawn of humanity, however, the advancements in the wood products industry have made this “old” standby seem new again. The beneficial properties and pleasing aesthetics of engineered products are inspiring architects, engineers, and builders to reimagine the possibilities of wood. 

Through advancements in technology and design, engineered wood products are helping usher in a new era of office and residential buildings in urban settings. We could point to hundreds of building projects that demonstrate the power of building with engineered wood products. However, here are just a few case studies that highlight how engineered wood products like Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam are being incorporated in modern building designs throughout North America. 

APA Case Study: Kelowna Office Building– 3935 Lakeshore Rd
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia

This 3-story, 14,000 square-foot office building is framed with glulam post and beam, with CLT making up the floor and roof systems. According to this case study published by the APA – The Engineered Wood Association, CLT provided an unprecedented level of structural integrity, design flexibility, and cost-competiveness with a high level of aesthetic value, thanks to the natural beauty of wood. Click here to learn more about this project.  

APA Case Study: Winfield Gate 
Location: Houston, Texas

This upscale development of 4,000- to 6,000-square foot, four-story luxury townhomes uses wood structural frames and demonstrate the load-carrying capacities of engineered wood glulam beams. “There’s no question that glulam help us achieve our design goals,” says Andy Suman, partner at Röwe & Wright, developer/builder. The glulam also helped meet the area’s high-wind load requirements. Other engineered wood products utilized in this project include open-web wood trusses, OSB subflooring, and walls fully sheathed in 1/2-inch plywood. Click here to download this case study.

APA Case Study: Brelsford WSU Visitor Center 
Location: Pullman, Washington 

The Brelsford WSU Visitor Center is a functional showcase of several engineered wood products, inspiring and educating visitors on wood’s aesthetic and structural capabilities. Mountain pine beetle-killed wood was used extensively throughout the interior, too. Click here to download this case study. 

APA Case Study: Atlantic Station Project
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Engineered wood is spotlighted in this case study of an award-winning development built in Atlantic Station, an urban renewal project located in Atlanta. Wood’s design versatility and sustainability are highlighted in the construction of two of Atlantic Stations’ high-density residential projects on the site of the former Atlantic Steel Mill. Click here to download this case study. 

1430 Q 
Location: Sacramento, California

D & S Development made construction and engineering history by creating the first building in the U.S. that included six levels of livable space framed in wood over a 2 story concrete podium. At the time it was built, 1430 Q’s the tallest wood frame building at 85ft. tall and unlocked more potential for building with wood. State of the art fireproofing and engineering gives its tenants the highest standards of fire safety, as it now takes 2-hours for a fire to burn through one wall. 

Case Study: Origine 
Location: Quebec City, Quebec

 
At 13-stories high, Origine is among the world’s tallest all-wood residential towers in eastern North America. This distinguished landmark was constructed using cross-laminated timber (CLT) and is part of an ever-expanding roster of mass timber multifamily projects across Canada.

As a company that serves the Wood Products Industry, It’s exciting to witness this new era of innovative timber-built projects. 

Click here to see more construction projects and even more innovative wood buildings that are changing how we live and work. To learn more, visit CLT Basics on www.apawood.org & Is the Construction Industry About to Enter a Timber Age? on our blog.