Accelerator City Programs Support 10 New Projects | SLB March 2026 Newsletter

Light-frame construction remains central to the SLB’s long-term strategy, particularly in mid-rise multifamily (such as the WoodWorks-supported Seagaze Apartments in Oceanside, California, pictured above) and urban infill development. In 2025, 66% of WoodWorks’ directly influenced projects were light-frame, representing 354 MM BF of lumber. Regional Directors supported decision-makers at pivotal moments to prevent material substitution, resolve permitting friction, and protect project economics.

Key interventions included:

• Preserving light-frame construction on a nine-building affordable housing development with zero lot lines by identifying compliant UL-listed light-frame wall assemblies that maintained fire separation without shifting to higher-cost materials.
• Advising on sprinkler, concealed space, and construction type strategies in 3-over-1 projects to eliminate unnecessary podium construction and reduce fire-resistance costs.
• Clarifying gypsum continuity and shaft termination requirements to avoid rework and schedule delays.
• Introducing strategies and details for addressing shrinkage with all-wood structural systems, a concern in large light-frame projects.

Together, these actions preserved incremental board feet in cost-sensitive projects and reinforced light-frame wood as a repeatable, scalable solution.

In January, the SLB sponsored the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) Forum—the largest annual gathering of architecture students in the United States. The event convened 350 students representing 55 schools from across the country.

A highlight was a hands-on mass timber workshop that moved wood beyond drawings and theory. Students worked directly with structural components, power tools, and fasteners, assembling elements themselves and gaining a practical understanding of product types and connection systems. The experience provided tangible insight into how mass timber systems come together in real buildings.

Students also toured T3 RiNo, one of the latest completed projects in developer Hines’ T3: Timber, Transit, Technology series of commercial mass timber buildings, which includes 23 projects completed, in design, or under construction. Walking through the completed Class A office building demonstrated the scale, structural performance, and architectural quality achievable with lumber in a competitive commercial setting.

The Forum’s keynote was delivered by Jessie Johnson of DLR Group, the principal architect responsible for T3 RiNo. She traced the project from early design through coordination and on-site assembly, giving students a comprehensive view of the mass timber project lifecycle and the professional pathways involved in delivering these buildings.

By grounding wood design education in direct experience and built examples, the SLB is helping ensure future architects see mass timber not as aspirational, but as a viable and competitive solution for nonresidential construction.

At the end of 2025, 44 states (30 statewide and 14 with adopting jurisdictions) had adopted the mass timber provisions in the 2021 or 2024 International Building Code (IBC). Mass timber’s inclusion in the IBC is still fairly new, and the American Wood Council continues to play a leading role in supporting states and jurisdictions as they consider, adopt, and implement the provisions. 

A major focus of the AWC’s effort is ensuring that building code officials and fire service leaders have the technical confidence and familiarity needed to fully assess mass timber construction. The AWC’s recent work in New York City demonstrates the program’s expertise and ability to meet the specific needs of each regulating area. 

New York City has a unique approval process for code adoption, and as a result, a coordinated effort between the AWC’s codes team and fire service engagement teams has been critical. The codes team had established relationships in New York City, and after hearing concerns about a potential limited adoption of the IBC’s mass timber provisions, led education presentations for the city’s code committee to address misconceptions and clarify relevant testing and performance standards. This further solidified the AWC’s role as a technical expert and resource for the committee as they continue to deliberate on the mass timber provisions.

At the same time the city’s code committees deliberated, the AWC’s fire service engagement team was actively meeting with and supporting the fire department because the mass timber proposals are unlikely to pass without the department’s support. In January, the AWC joined the New York State Fire Chiefs’ Association at the Long Island Fire and EMS Expo, leading a training seminar and meeting with a key former member of the New York City Fire Department to discuss strategies for communicating the safety of mass timber with the department.

Supporting the adoption of mass timber provisions across the U.S. helps expand where wood construction can be used, opens new markets, and provides standardized pathways for mass timber projects. Educating building code officials and fire departments is a critical part of this, and the AWC’s work in New York City is just one example of the places that the AWC is listening and responding to the educational needs of jurisdictions around the country.

A 13-story mass timber tower under construction at The Ohio State University is demonstrating that tall wood student housing can not only pencil out—it can also be a cost-effective and ultimately repeatable kit-of-parts solution for market-rate student housing.

Think Wood’s profile of 9th and High features Mark Bell, CEO of Harbor Bay Ventures, which previously gained experience with INTRO, one of the largest completed mass timber projects in the United States. He describes mass timber’s architectural appeal and lower carbon footprint, as well as its offsite prefabrication advantages. “When done right, mass timber lets us build the same building with less labor and roughly 25–30% faster than a conventional post-tension concrete equivalent,” he says. “When affordability and housing are in crisis, that kind of speed isn’t just a nice-to-have—it can be part of the solution.”

Student housing was a strong performer for lumber-based construction in 2025, with WoodWorks supporting a steady stream of new student housing projects—many using light-frame wood systems or hybrid approaches that combine light-frame with mass timber. Low-rise and mid- to high-rise multifamily projects are key areas of focus in the SLB’s long-term strategy, with 5- to 8-story projects representing an annual incremental lumber demand opportunity of 307 MM BF. Think Wood’s case studies in this segment show that there is a significant opportunity for both light-frame and mass timber systems to gain ground.