Mass timber materials are not inexpensive. However, mass timber offers several cost competitive advantages and long-term benefits. Columns, beams and panels on average weigh 1/5th the weight of concrete and steel materials, reducing shipping costs and requiring a smaller workforce to install. With prefabricated panels delivered directly to jobsites, construction time can be reduced by approximately 25 percent, saving owners even more time and money. Furthermore, wood structures have a biophilic effect on people, increasing occupants’ overall health and wellness and give long-term value to the design.
YOUR PROJECT. OUR PRIORITY.® | We'd love to hear from you and look forward to learning more for discovering how to build community by connecting you with integrated commercial construction expertise.
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Mass Timber Project News
Mass Timber Sustainability in the News: The Neutral Project | 06.22.2023 BENEATH THE HARD HAT®
The Neutral Project, a sustainable real estate development company, is making news in mass timber in Madison and Milwaukee. Baker's Place (shown below) will be the first mass timber high-rise building in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Neutral Project is also planning a new mass timber residential development in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Edison (shown below) would be the second mass timber structure in Milwaukee and is poised to be the tallest hybrid mass timber tower in North America.
Ascent MKE named Milwaukee Business Journal's Real Estate Awards Project of the Year | Milwaukee Business Journal 05.17.2023
Madison developer again increases height for planned Edison Street apartment tower in downtown Milwaukee | BizTimes 05.19.2023
Mass timber apartment building downtown Milwaukee grows to 32 floors, could become tallest in North America | TMJ4 05.19.2023
Ascent MKE – ULI Americas Awards for Excellence Finalist | ULI Americas 04.25.2023
Sustainable Local Developers to Build Madison's First Mass Timber High Rise | The Neutral Project 02.2023
2023 Wood Design Award Winners Embrace Timber's Potential | 04.2023 Think Wood
Is Milwaukee becoming the world's mass timber leader? | Woodworking Network 02.15.2023
Revised plan could make Milwaukee home to two of the world's tallest mass timber towers | Milwaukee Business Journal 02.08.2023
Developer significantly increasing height for planned Edison Street apartment tower | BizTimes 02.08.2023
New Mass Timber Building Could Be Tallest in U.S. | Urban Milwaukee 02.06.2023
Ascent is Officially Declared the Tallest Mass Timber Hybrid Building in the World | 07.20.2022 BENEATH THE HARD HAT®
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Ascent tops off as world's tallest timber tower | 12.17.2021 BENEATH THE HARD HAT®
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Lean Construction: Building the World's Tallest Mass Timber Hybrid | BENEATH THE HARD HAT®
• Mass timber is a sustainable building material with a low carbon footprint. It has fewer embodied carbons and requires less water and energy to produce than concrete or steel. It is also cleaner to construct, which aids in reducing carbon emissions during construction. Mass timber also locks in carbon from the atmosphere, benefiting everyone in the building and community for years to come.
• Mass timber is highly rated for seismic resilience and has vibration-resistant properties to withstand the impacts of explosions, earthquakes and high winds. The predictable way it burns and chars is unique to mass timber and it meets or exceeds burn codes in the event of a fire.
• Mass timber is prefabricated, lending itself to a faster build time. Additionally, materials that are prefabricated offsite require significantly less truck traffic on the construction site.
The Baker’s Place project in Madison, Wisconsin is a new 14-storey mixed-use development constructed from mass-timber, creating 206 homes and preserving the oldest historic piece of the original Gardner Baking Co. Building. The project’s design is driven by a commitment to heritage, sustainability, innovation, and community.
Take a tour of the Baker's Place Project page, including the latest media news, by jumping to primary topics of interest from the BAKER'S PLACE PAGE MENU!
Fastenal Company's new corporate office is more than a building. It's a SUSTAINABLY-built MASS TIMBER facility designed to pay homage to its HISTORIC riverfront surroundings. By incorporating mass timber construction as an alternative to the original steel frame concept, SUSTAINABILITY was one of THREE key accomplishments for Fastenal's landmark new building.
The nearly 100,000 square foot, multi-story building was designed by The Kubala Washatko Architects (TKWA) to pay homage to its HISTORIC surroundings. Through the use of locally sourced stone and mixed media materials, they achieved a perceived timelessness in the context of the downtown riverfront area. That was the second accomplishment.
And the third resulted from the goal of creating a workplace environment for attracting new talent and businesses to the riverfront. Fastenal brought 450 employees to downtown Winona to achieve an initial economic boost with hopes for lasting positive impacts for attracting and retaining talent at their company and throughout the city.
Learn more from the project profile!
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RIVERHEATH POPLAR HALL - EVENT SPACE
With its modern, two-story contemporary mass timber design, Poplar Hall at RiverHeath is by far the most unique building to date, both in architecture and construction materials, as well as the function of the space itself.
The new, free-standing 8,400 square-foot structure consists of glulam and cross-laminated timber framing to create a new event space for live entertainment, corporate events and a wide array of social, celebratory functions.
Although the building has a relatively small footprint, this space has a high density of amenities to cater to all its occupants.
These amenities and features include 30’ tall windows to the west for brilliant views of the Fox River, two indoor gas fireplaces, two full-service bars, one full-service kitchen and servery, a decorative timber tread monument stair between floors, a green room and a stage for events and presentations, as well as seating and standing space to accommodate 395 occupants.
FEATURES INCLUDE:
» Two Full-Service Bars
» Full-Service Restaurants
» Two Indoor Fireplaces
» Green Room & Stage for Presentations
» Zamboni Garage + Ice Skating Rink Floor to Ceiling Windows
» Accommodates 395 Guests
Learn more about this award-winning wood design from its project profile.
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THE ASCENT PROJECT - MASS TIMBER VS. TRADITIONAL BUILDING
Curious how mass timber construction schedules stack up against traditional concrete structures? Scroll past the image 👇 for a quick comparison sourced from an interview clip with Project Manager Chris Johansen on the Ascent project in Milwaukee.
Per Floor Comparison
(typical concrete building the same size as Ascent)
⌛ Eight to ten days per floor for a concrete building
⏳ Five to six days per floor with timber
Other interesting construction schedule notes and insights from building the world's tallest hybrid mass timber tower include:
🏗 Curtain wall installation can follow more closely up the building (allowing interiors to start sooner than on a concrete structure)
🏗 The ~64 columns per floor could fly up in bundles of three. Once on their designated floor, all 64 could be set in a day.
🏗 Only one or two beams could be picked and flown up at a time. A typical floor has ~75 beams. Once staged on the deck, all 75 could be installed in a day.
The above is a quick snapshot with stats and insights taken from a 48-minute full-length video tour produced by WoodWorks | Wood Products Council behind the scenes at the Ascent project.
Interviews featured in the full-length version include representation with insights and expertise from C.D. Smith Construction, Korb and Associates Architects, Thornton Tomasetti Engineering, and Ascent owners, New Land Enterprises.
For access to the full-length video, go to https://www.cdsmith.com/ascent#woodworks-video. Or tour all of the information on the Ascent Project page, including the latest media news, by jumping to primary topics of interest from the ASCENT PAGE MENU at https://www.cdsmith.com/ascent#menu!
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LEAN CONSTRUCTION: BUILDING THE WORLD'S TALLEST HYBRID MASS TIMBER TOWER
When building the world's tallest mass timber hybrid building, Ascent, the project team took an approach similar to 'sharpening the axe.'
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" is an iconic quote from Abraham Lincoln that we've all probably heard at some point in our careers.
In our most recent post from Beneath the Hard Hat®, we explore the importance of lean construction practices and planning principles that can be applied to any project, according to the following subtopics:
» PLANNING & EARLY TEAM INVOLVEMENT
» FORESIGHT & PREVENTING ERRORS
» VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS & MANAGEMENT
» CULTURE OF RESPECT & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
» TARGET VALUE DELIVERY
By sharpening our axe, we can effectively and efficiently execute a project, deliver it on time, within budget and minimize waste and rework.
Go to LEAN CONSTRUCTION: BUILDING THE WORLD'S TALLEST MASS TIMBER HYBRID for a deeper dive into the study of lean construction methods for building the world's tallest mass timber hybrid.
Step behind the scenes with Jennifer Cover, President & CEO of WoodWorks, as she interviews the project team on the Ascent project, currently under construction in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Get an in-depth look at Ascent straight from the experts - in a part video tour and part sit-down Q&A format - as they build their way to the top of the tallest mass timber structure in the world.
Video production courtesy of WoodWorks. Interview features include representation with insights and expertise from C.D. Smith Construction, Korb + Associates Architects, Thornton Tomasetti Engineering, and Ascent owners, New Land Enterprises.
WoodWorks’ President & CEO, Jennifer Cover, P.E. and C.D. Smith Project Manager, Chris Johansen discuss beam to column connections and the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) on New Land Enterprises’ Ascent project at the project jobsite in Milwaukee.
Video production courtesy of WoodWorks.
*Note: This is a video excerpt from a 48-minute video tour with project team interviews produced by WoodWorks | Wood Products Council. Interviews featured in the full-length version include representation with insights and expertise from C.D. Smith Construction, Korb + Associates Architects, Thornton Tomasetti Engineering, and Ascent owners, New Land Enterprises.
Watch the full-length feature in its entirety to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Ascent project from various perspectives at https://www.cdsmith.com/ascent#woodworks-video.
