A key driver pushing mass timber forward is environmental advantage. More and more, the design industry hones in on carbon reduction – this is where mass timber really shines. Wood is a renewable resource and, of course, as trees grow they mitigate carbon by taking it from the atmosphere: Timber couldn’t be a better candidate for mitigating climate change when used as a superstructure in large-scale projects.

The potential for growth in the timber industry is vast. It’s important to note that globally, a very small percentage of the world’s forests are used to produce wood for buildings. Even with the amount of growth in the industry over the course of a year we still only use a very small percentage of that for buildings.

Part of our responsibility as design leaders is to demonstrate that they’re economically viable, logistics and sourcing materials notwithstanding. In doing so, we can elevate the entire industry’s knowledge.