REGULARS- TALKING TIMBER
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European stadium. A Canadian office tower. An American high-rise.
Projects that used to consume thousands of tons of steel and concrete are being built with arguably the world’ s longest and most renewable industrial resource – wood. The North American timber construction industry has transformed significantly over the past decade. At the turn of the 20 th century, steel and concrete widely replaced wood in the construction of commercial buildings. Today advances in fabrication techniques and connection engineering, along with a renewed interest in timber as an architectural medium and trends toward sustainable construction, provide an environment for the reemergence of timber in an array of projects.
Susan Jones, founding principal of Seattle architectural firm atelierjones, is among the veteran architects advocating for the advancement of the acceptance of mass timber construction in the United States. Her firm’ s work has been recognised with numerous national, regional and local design awards.
Jones also is among the 18 American Institute of Architects’ representatives who are part of the International Code Committee( ICC) working to test the effectiveness of timber in construction projects and to define codes outlining building practices.
On the heels of the Timber in the City Symposium at Parsons School of Design this month in New York, Jones spoke with ProudGreenBuilding. com about the increasing popularity of mass timber commercial projects and the impact research will have on future building efforts.
Proud Green Building: What was the message you tried to convey about timber at the symposium? Susan Jones: We introduced the audience to mass timber, to our work and the hurdles and opportunities we saw. We were joined by a panel, and we had an engaged discussion. The question was really what can we do to move this forward. If there are hurdles, what are they and how can they be identified and mitigated?
We all were involved with various levels of building with mass timber already and had experiences to share. Most were optimistic in determining what can be built today and what are the challenges. Sometimes, that message gets lost in translation.
For example, there is so much focus on building above six stories, which is currently not allowed in any of the ICC codes today. There is tremendous opportunity under six stories, and that’ s where our work has been currently focused.
PGB: Are more and more architects and engineers looking to timber first when it comes to commercial projects? Jones: Especially in the Northwest, where timber is part of the cultural heritage. Portland has built several beautiful, wonderful NLT( nail-laminated timber) buildings across the commercial landscape.
Architects in Portland and Seattle- because we’ re so close to the Canadian border- are well aware of what has been done with wood over the last decade or so, especially with the Olympics back in 2008. There has been a lot of awareness. Certainly, when it’ s appropriate, we’ re definitely open to using wood. But BC’ s Wood First policy that has been implemented several years ago was a huge impact on the BC( British Columbia) market. If something were to go ahead in the States, or even on a state level, it would have an excellent impetus on working with wood.
PGB: Why is timber becoming more prevalent in commercial projects? What is driving this trend? Jones: Often you talk to a timber or lumber mill person or forester, and they say,“ What’ s with this trendy thing called timber? We’ ve been doing this for 30, 50, 100 years and you architects were never interested in what we were doing. What’ s going on? Are you guys finally seeing the light?”
I always laugh when I get a comment like that. The impact of climate change has affected our world deeply. As an individual, as an architect, we all understand that we have a huge role to play in how our profession can affect climate change. It is one of the biggest ethical challenges our generation faces.
We’ re responsible for specifying materials. We can specify steel and concrete. We can specify wood. Of course, this is done in concert with response to budget, our client’ s needs and their market perception. People are starting to get it. Architects have been leaders over the past three or four years to help their clients understand this can both be an environmental choice of materials and a beautiful one.
That’ s my personal motivation. Wood- when it can be exposed- is a beautifully sensitive material that reflects light and daylight in very different ways and creates a calming sense of nature when you enter a space, whether it’ s a commercial space or residential space. There’ s just a different feel when you’ re immersed within the textures, smells and touch of a natural environment.
The majority of growth has happened in our cities. We all love our dynamic, urban environments, but when you have the opportunity to touch a piece of wood, there’ s just something very different about it – its smell, its texture. There’ s a real connection to nature we all instinctively long for.
PGB: What makes timber a good alternative to steel or concrete? Is it as strong and durable? Jones: On the West Coast, light-framed timber has always been around in low to midrise multi-family, up to six stories. That’ s been a big stalwart of our multifamily construction market. As you start to get higher, building codes restrictions start to phase out light-frame timber. The excitement of working with mass timber is that it you are working with large, somewhat awkward but very strong and lightweight panels that can be prefabricated. Typically, they’ re eight feet wide by 40 feet long by 4 to 6 to 9 inches thick, depending on how many layers you use.
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48 APRIL / MAY 2017 //