The global market for mass timber reached a milestone last year, exceeding $1 billion for the first time. That market is expected to more than double, to $2.5 billion, by 2027, according to estimates from Research & Markets. But as mass timber continues to nudge its way from the fringe into the mainstream, is the industry prepared for that demand?
Joining us to discuss mass timber’s future are two execs from the builder Timberlab, a Swinerton company that launched in Portland, Ore., in 2021: Erica Spiritos, Director of Preconstruction, and Sam Dicke, a Los Angeles-based Business Development Manager.
Topics:
- Let’s talk first about demand. In what sectors is Timberlab seeing growth for mass timber’s use? And where does your company see opportunities for future penetration?
- What are the challenges to growth? Is the industry’s supply infrastructure able to handle the kind of demand projected? What is Timberlab doing to ensure it has sufficient product to build with?
- It seems like more cities every day are monitoring and setting stricter limits on carbon emissions from new and existing buildings? Mass timber has been positioned as one solution to mandates for sequestration and mitigating embodied carbon. Is that message getting through to developers and municipalities, or is more education needed?
- Let’s discuss some of the recent projects that Timberlab has worked on, and why mass timber was the choice for each. (Sam, here’s where you can talk about Portland Airport, the Public Sanitation District Center, the 8-story multifamily building, and the “11 million square feet” of buildings in Arkansas)
- Market watchers are predicting 15% compound annual growth for mass timber in the coming years. How does Timberlab see market demand, and where is it headed?
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