Our Industry’s Demand Problem—and the SLB’s Vision to Address It | SLB November 2025 Newsletter

Ten years ago, Build with Strength launched with a clear goal: to block mass timber construction types from being incorporated into the I-codes and reclaim market share for concrete in residential construction. Central to its strategy was using construction fires to cast doubt on the safety of wood construction and calling into question the safety of mass timber. In response, the SLB funded and supported the AWC in launching a fire service engagement program dedicated to building relationships with the fire service and responding quickly to construction fires to prevent unwarranted attacks on wood products.

Through significant direct outreach, relationship building, education, and strategic, rapid response, the AWC turned what was once a significant threat to mass timber and our industry into a positive opportunity to educate on construction fire safety. The fire service now looks to the AWC as a leader in construction fire safety education. The AWC’s Fire Service team offers courses and speaks around the country on construction fire safety, and this has helped to build trust and confidence in our industry.

It takes years of investment of time and hard work to build relationships based on trust that can lead to these kinds of results. The SLB’s initial and continued investment has been critical to the growth and impact of this program.

Two recent Think Wood case studies show how lumber-based construction systems can help solve design and development challenges. WRNS Studio’s mixed-use Brickline development pairs a concrete office space with light-frame wood residential units in a distinctive side-by-side configuration. While the project received coverage in architecture media, Think Wood’s article dives deeper into the structural choice, showing how light-frame wood and concrete can complement each other to optimize materials and accelerate construction timelines.

The Bucks T-4 Housing project by IDCUBED represents another exemplary structural approach. Bringing a European technology to North America, the project is the first large-scale use of mass timber modular construction in the United States. Think Wood’s article describes how the developers used the speed, precision, and simplicity of off-site fabrication of CLT modules to create 96 units of affordable workforce housing in a location—Big Sky, Montana—where affordable construction labor is difficult to come by.

By providing valuable, unique insights from design teams, these Think Wood articles drive user engagement that leads to more specification of lumber: 72% of highly engaged users across professions say they are more likely to specify wood after seeing our content. Just as important, they showcase repeatable, innovative wood solutions that can inspire future project teams.

Advancing wood-focused instruction in higher education is central to the SLB’s mission to increase demand for softwood lumber. The SLB Education program supports faculty in teaching wood and channeling students’ innate enthusiasm for natural materials into technical knowledge, displacing bias and building confidence. This is the most effective way to ensure the design and construction workforce scales in step with the industry—creating lasting demand that benefits the entire value chain.

This work aligns closely with what SLB investors have been doing on their own for years: supporting local and regional institutions to advance wood education. SLB Education builds on those efforts, amplifying proven approaches and coordinating them into a national strategy. Earlier this year, the SLB surveyed investors and mass timber manufacturers to map existing engagement. The results are helping to identify where the SLB’s partners are already collaborating with U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities—and where additional, coordinated investment could strengthen the industry’s collective impact. Moreover, the findings will inform SLB Education’s priorities, improve joint outreach, and help us connect investors, partners, schools, and resources more effectively.

An example of this coordinated approach is an SLB-sponsored design-build studio at North Carolina State University, where two faculty members guided 15 architecture students in creating “The Floating Grove”—a CLT and glulam outdoor classroom pavilion and the first mass timber structure built on the NCSU campus. The project offered students hands-on experience in mass timber design, fabrication, and construction—addressing barriers that often limit wood-focused curricula.

The sponsorship reflects the SLB’s education strategy in action: scaling what works, aligning with investor priorities, and preparing a new generation of AEC professionals ready to design, engineer, and build with wood.

With its latest design example, Five-Story Light-Frame Wood Over Podium, WoodWorks has once again filled a critical information gap, providing the only in-depth guidance for the seismic and wind design of buildings with five stories of light-frame wood construction over a concrete podium.  

These projects offer both density and value, helping address the need for cost-effective residential and mixed-use spaces. Multifamily 5- to 8-story projects are also a high-priority segment identified in the SLB’s “From Niche to Mainstream” strategic plan, with a target market share for wood of 65% resulting in annual incremental lumber volume of 307 MM BF. Amplifying and expanding resources targeted in high-growth, high-impact sectors is a key priority for the SLB, and this design example highlights the impact these resources can have. 

A building with five stories of light-frame construction has unique design and code considerations that are not widely understood. The information in this design example doesn’t exist anywhere else, including textbooks, and is detailed enough to guide a structural engineer who has never worked on this type of project. It updates a previous version that has been used extensively since 2010.

While the design example covers code provisions relevant to architects, it is primarily intended for engineers. It provides a step-by-step approach to designing a light-frame wood podium project that complies with the requirements of ASCE 7-22. Calculations included for five stories of light-frame wood construction are applicable to four stories, but demonstrate the increased attention on structural loads, shrinkage, and other design elements required for a taller light-frame building.