Advancing mass timber construction as a climate solution

New technology has created a set of wood laminate building materials - “mass timber” - that can be used in place of steel or concrete to build six stories and up. Using wood as a substitute material avoids the greenhouse gas emissions produced in making steel or concrete, and it can act as a carbon sink, storing carbon in the structure. Mass timber is produced from wood species found in abundance in the United States.

In May, 2019, Olifant was awarded a two year Wood Innovations Grant from the USDA U.S. Forest Service to seek early adopter policy and financial incentives to encourage developers to use mass timber for its carbon storage benefits.

The project was a pilot in the metro Boston area, conducted in partnership with another Wood Innovations Grant recipient, John Klein of MIT Architecture, who is seeking early demonstration projects in mass timber by streamlining the design process for housing and office space.

Mass timber has the potential to be a significant climate solution and a significant conservation solution for our forests.