Building to Net-Zero Carbon
Designed to expand the use of mass timber in the United States, the Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon showcases mass timber’s application, practicality, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution that reduces the carbon footprint of the built environment. The Competition is intended to help expand the use of mass timber building solutions and support increased employment in advanced wood products design, engineering, construction, supply chain, and manufacturing sectors.
The SLB and USDA fund the competition. The funding supports costs associated with the use of mass timber or mass timber hybrid building systems and construction. Funding also helps project teams overcome barriers to the use of a new building material and system, most notably the costs of analyzing design and engineering alternatives and verifying that these solutions comply with applicable code(s).
2023 Competition Recap
In October 2023, the SLB and USDA Forest Service announced five winners of the 2023 Mass Timber Competition. The winning projects received funds totaling $2.2 million to demonstrate mass timber’s applications in architectural design and highlight its significant role in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment. A blog post profiling the five winners can be found on Think Wood.
CODA Detroit
A 95,000-square-foot, five-story mixed-use residential project.
Detroit, Michigan
Project Team: OOMBRA Architects, Brush Park Properties / IN Development Partners, JDH Engineering, Britt Peters and Associates, and AM Higley.
Update: Project is in Development and Planning Phase
Up@310 Lofts
An overbuild that will add three stories and 57 apartments on top of a steel building.
Keene, New Hampshire
Project Team: Lignin Group, Tim Olson, Banwell Architects, 310 Marlboro St., and Entuitive.
Update: Project is in Construction Phase
Via/NWA IC Program
A pilot housing project, consisting of four market-rate and affordable multifamily residential buildings totaling 131 units.
Springdale, Arkansas
Project Team: A226, Blue Crane, Modus Studio, Tatum-Smith-Welcher, Aspect Structural Engineers, and Arco Construction.
Update: Project is in Pre-Construction Phase
The Village SF Wellness Center
A six-story, 45,000-square-foot mixed-use commercial and multifamily project with the goal to reclaim physical and cultural space for urban American Indians.
San Francisco, California
Project Team: PYATOK architecture + urban design, The Friendship House Association of American Indians, DCI Engineers, and Cahill Contractors.
Update: Project is in Development and Planning Phase
Woolsey Gardens
An eight-story, 59,570-square-foot high-rise multifamily project with commercial space on the first floor and a permanently affordable housing community above.
Berkeley, California
Project Team: Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Northern California Land Trust, Tipping Structural Engineers, Swinerton Builders, and Timberlab.
Update: Project is in Development and Planning Phase
2022 Competition Recap and Project Updates
In June 2022, the SLB and USDA Forest Service announced the winners of the first competition. Six projects were chosen for their ability to demonstrate mass timber’s innovative, scalable applications in architectural design and to highlight its significant role in reducing the built environment’s carbon footprint. The winning projects, which shared $2 million in total funding, are listed below. A blog post profiling the winners can be found on Think Wood.
Vancouver Ambulatory Care Center
176,000-square-foot medical facility.
Vancouver, Washington
Project team: ZGF Architects, Timberlab, Swinerton, and PCS Structural Solutions
Update: Project is on hold
Return to Form
12-story multifamily and retail project in Denver, Colorado, which will include affordable housing units.
Denver, Colorado
Project team: Katz Development, Timberlab, KL&A Engineers and Builders, and Tres Birds
Update: Project team completed a whole-building life cycle analysis (WBLCA)
Evergreen Charter School
An 85,000-square-foot gymnasium.
Hempstead, New York
Project team: Martin Hopp Architect, Consigli, and Odeh Engineers
Update: Project is in Construction Phase
Alaskan Copper & Brass
A 42,456-square-foot industrial warehouse.
Kent, Washington
Project team: atelierjones, Foushee, Timberlab, and DCI Engineers.
Update: Project is on hold
INTRO Cleveland — Phase 2
A multifamily high-rise building in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.
Cleveland, Ohio
Project team: Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, and Forefront Structural Engineers.
Update: Project is in Design Phase
Killingsworth
An 18,780-square-foot community-centric office building.
Portland, Oregon
Project team: Adre, LEVER Architecture, and Holmes US.
Update: Project is in Development and Planning Phase
Each project pledges to use wood sourced from sustainably managed forests, and many prioritize mass timber that is both domestically harvested and manufactured. Lessons from these projects will be shared with the broader design and construction communities to support project development and replication, including research about cost analyses and life-cycle assessments.