Educating a Broad Cross-Section of Professionals on the “Why’s” and “How’s” of Mass Timber
To promote Michigan’s growing mass timber industry, we partner with Michigan State University (MSU) and the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (MDNR) to convene an annual educational gathering of architectural, design, construction, and forest industry professionals, academics, and students engaged in mass timber projects, research, and initiatives.
A key part of our education and outreach regime is not only time spent in classrooms learning the latest tools and trends in mass timer, but actually getting to see the beginning stages and end results of mass timber projects in action.
For instance, to demonstrate the beauty and utility of this unique building material, the annual Michigan Mass Timber Update event is held on-site at a mass timber building or project location in Michigan. Events have taken place in MSU’s mass timber building in East Lansing, at the Union Carpenters and Millwrights Skilled Training Center in Detroit, at Adelaide Point in Muskegon, and at the Kalamazoo Country Club in Kalamazoo.
Read more
Mass timber is an umbrella term for a variety of huge, engineered wood building construction materials that can be used like steel or concrete in large buildings — even skyscrapers. After emerging in Europe about 40 years ago, mass timber materials are now gaining market share across the United States and in Michigan because they offer benefits including efficient construction and a lower carbon footprint.
Mass timber demand has more than quintupled in the U.S. since 2018, and Michigan now has more than 50 mass timber buildings in the pipeline, which is why people are looking to Michigan as a mass timber leader in the Great Lakes Region and Eastern United States.
Recent advancements in Michigan include:
- Adoption of the 2021 Michigan Building Code which defines three new mass timber building types, including a category of up to 18 stories.
- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) completion of its new customer service center in Newberry, the first building to use mass timber panels made from Michigan red pine.
- The state’s 2025 budget includes a $1 million investment — to be programmed by the DNR — to “aid in the research and development of a mass timber market in Michigan.”
