Cavanaugh has been instrumental in shaping the future of mass timber and stewarding DLR Group’s ongoing partnership with the developer Hines, whose T3 (Timber, Transit, Technology) concept reimagines office environments with an emphasis on environmental and social sustainability.

Having designed nearly three million SF of mass timber, including T3 Junction, the firm’s largest and tallest T3 project, Cavanaugh has accrued vast knowledge and expertise around the use of wood in industry-leading design and construction. With a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, his team explored pathways for increased adoption of mass timber in building types beyond workplace, including hotels and multi-family projects.

Cavanaugh actively shares lessons learned about mass timber with his professional peers; university students; and middle school students through volunteer work. His research has been implemented in curriculum at the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and he has shared his professional and technical knowledge through numerous speaking engagements, including participating as a keynote panelist at the 2024 International Mass Timber Conference, which attracted an audience of 2,000 people.