Educational articles

Learning about Mass Timber

Published by:

Steve Marshall

December 4, 2024

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The mass timber advanced wood construction revolution that is sweeping North America is still young.  The main driver behind this movement is the ability to sequester carbon in our buildings rather than use other materials the production of which emits considerable carbon. Among the other many benefits of using mass timber is the opportunity to link sustainable buildings to sustainable forests. The players are actively learning as they go.  There is a big need for more expertise at the table.  While there is plenty to learn about mass timber at www.masstimberstrategy.com there is a world of learning opportunities beyond what we offer.  If you are thinking about learning more about mass timber either through professional development or by seeking a related degree program, we provide here a wide range of opportunities to consider.  

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

International Mass Timber Conference – Portland, Oregon April 12-14, 2022 (In-person+Virtual.)

https://masstimberconference.com

RECENT CONFERENCES

Advancing Mass Timber in Construction – Dallas, Texas October 4-6,2021 (In-person.)

https://advancing-mass-timber.com

WoodRise Congress 2021 – Kyoto, Japan October 15-18, 2021 (In-person+Virtual.)

http://woodrise2021.jp/en/

Industrialized Wood-Based Construction Conference October 26-27, 2021 (Virtual.)

https://www.iwbcc.com

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING & ADVICE

In North America

The Wood Institute features the combined educational offerings of WoodWorks, Think Wood, and The American Wood Council.  There are many in-depth accredited CEU courses.  All courses are free of charge.  https://www.woodinstitute.org

In the U.S.

WoodWorks provides a wide range of free-of-charge professional development opportunities along with direct project consultation and many mass timber related resources.  These are hugely valuable services and resources.  https://www.woodworks.org.

The Mass Timber Construction Management Program has been initiated by WoodWorks: https://www.woodworks.org/mass-timber-construction-management-program/

The American Wood Council plays a leadership role in the areas of policies, codes, and standards related to wood products.  In addition to direct action, they have many products and tools related to these areas.  https://awc.org

In Canada

WoodWorks! Is a communications program that is designed to help increase the use of wood in non-residential, mid-rise and tall building markets in Canada.   https://wood-works.ca

Think Wood provides commercial, multifamily and single-family home design and build resources to architects, developers, and contractors.  https://www.thinkwood.com

The Canadian Wood Council is a national federation of wood product associations with a focus on excellence in codes, standards, regulations, and education.  They have considerable resources available related to mass timber.  https://cwc.ca

woodSmart is a program of the Canadian Wood Council that supports post-secondary institutions, educators and students focused on advanced wood buildings.  https://woodsmart.ca[AM1]

DOZENS OF UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS EMBRACING MASS TIMBER

Auburn University - Forest Products Development Center:

http://wp.auburn.edu/forestproducts/

Catholic University – School of Architecture and Planning:

https://architecture.catholic.edu

Clemson University - Wood Utilization and Design Institute:

https://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/wud/

Georgia Tech - School of Building Construction:

https://bc.gatech.edu

Harvard University - Graduate School of Design:

https://www.gsd.harvard.edu

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - School of Architecture and Planning:

massachusetts institute of technology architecture

Michigan State University - Department of Forestry:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/for/

Michigan Tech - Graduate Certificate in Timber Building Design:

https://www.mtu.edu/gradschool/programs/certificates/timber-building-design

Mississippi State University - Department of Sustainable Bioproducts:

mississippi state university department of sustainable bi…

North Carolina State University - Forest Biomaterials:

https://cnr.ncsu.edu/fb/

Parsons School of Design:

https://www.newschool.edu/parsons/

Pratt Institute:

https://www.pratt.edu

Stanford University - Center for Integrated Facility Engineering:

https://cife.stanford.edu

State University of New York - College of Environmental Science and Forestry

https://www.esf.edu

Ryerson University – Timber Fever:

https://www.timberfever.com

University of Arkansas - Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design:

https://fayjones.uark.edu

University of British Columbia - Forestry:

https://forestry.ubc.ca

University of British Columbia - Timber Engineering and Applied Mechanics:

https://team.forestry.ubc.ca

University of British Columbia / Okanogan – School of Engineering:

https://engineering.ok.ubc.ca

University of Georgia - Warner School of Forestry and Natural Resources:

https://www.warnell.uga.edu

University of Idaho – Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences

https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/departments/forest-rangeland-and-fire-sciences

University of Idaho – Department of Natural Resources and Society:

https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr/departments/natural-resources-and-society

University of Maine - Advanced Structures and Composites Center:

https://composites.umaine.edu

University of Massachusetts at Amherst - Department of Environmental Conservation:

umass amherst department of environmental conservation

University of Northern British Columbia - The Wood Innovation and Design Centre:

https://www2.unbc.ca/engineering/wood-innovation-and-design-centre

University of Oregon & Oregon State University - TallWood Design Institute:

http://tallwoodinstitute.org

University of Toronto - Mass Timber Institute:

https://academic.daniels.utoronto.ca/masstimberinstitute/

University of Washington - College of Engineering:

university of washington college of engineering

University of Washington - Department of Architecture:

https://arch.be.uw.edu

University of Washington - School of Environment and Forest Sciences:

https://sefs.uw.edu

University of Washington - UW Center for Wood Innovation:

https://arch.be.uw.edu/course/mass-timberau-16/

Virginia Tech - Center for Forest Products Business

https://cfpb.vt.edu/outreach/clt-vt/

Washington State University - Composite Materials and Engineering Center:

https://cmec.wsu.edu

Washington State University – Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory:

https://cmec.wsu.edu/wood-materials-engineering-laboratory/

Wentworth Institute of Technology – School of Architecture and Design:

https://wit.edu/learning/school-architecture-design

Yale - Yale School of the Environment:

https://environment.yale.edu

Yale - Yale School of Architecture:

https://www.architecture.yale.edu

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Mass Timber Strategy is a consultancy that helps businesses implement mass timber construction projects. With a focus on market assessments, production planning, and strategic partnerships, we provide expert guidance and resources to support the growth of sustainable building practices and strengthen the mass timber industry.