Mass timber buildings are cropping up across North America, along with factories that manufacture these versatile, sustainable, engineered wood building materials. That’s because mass timber offers a compelling suite of benefits. Manufacturing mass timber can play an important role in achieving forest health management goals, contribute to rural economic development, and provide new opportunities in the manufacturing sector. For the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, building with mass timber can reduce project construction times and costs, reduce construction crew sizes and equipment needs, and create beautiful buildings that people love to work, learn, and live in. Made from a renewable resource, mass timber is less carbon-intensive to produce than other common building materials; plus, these wood materials store carbon absorbed by trees, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it would contribute to climate change.
Michigan State University is at the forefront of efforts to realize these benefits in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. MSU built the state’s first mass timber building – the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility – on the site of the former Shaw Lane Power Plant, adjacent to Spartan Stadium. The two new mass timber wings provide 117,000 square feet of modern teaching labs and collaboration space.
MassTimber@MSU leverages lessons learned from building the STEM facility, along with research, education, outreach, communications, policy, and partnerships to advance sustainable mass timber construction and manufacture in Michigan and the surrounding region.
In addition, faculty in the Department of Forestry and School of Planning, Design and Construction are developing mass timber adhesives made from lignin, tools to predict construction costs and timelines for mass timber buildings, and mass timber made from salvaged lumber content in mass timber in service of MassTimber@MSU’s mission.
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Woodworks Seminar hosted at the Michigan State University STEM Teaching and Learning Facility
Woodworks will be hosting a two-part seminar covering various topics in Mass Timber construction here at Michigan State University! Part one of this detailed seminar will focus on mass timber products like cross laminated timber and part two will cover construction efficiency, codes, and project management. This event will conclude with a tour of the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility hosted by the MassTimber@MSU team.
MSU STEM Facility receives top honors from national construction industry association
The Association of General Contractors has honored Granger Construction for its work on the MSU STEM Teaching and Learning Facility, naming the building the most significant construction project of the year
MSU STEM Facility Earns WoodWorks Award for Using Mass Timber
WoodWorks, the non-profit educational arm of the American Wood Products Council, acknowledged the use of mass timber in the Michigan State University STEM building with its 2022 Wood Design Award for Wood in Schools.
Sandra Lupien has been featured on Crain’s Detroit Business “Notable Leaders in Sustainability” list!
MassTimber@MSU is thrilled to announce that Sandra Lupien, MPP, MassTimber@MSU director, is featured on Crain's Detroit Business first-ever "Notable Leaders in sustainability" list, nominated by Granger Construction Company.
News
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MSU Today Podcast: "Sustainable mass timber industry evolving at MSU with potential to enhance Michigan’s economy"
Published on April 6, 2022
MassTimber@MSU Director Sandra Lupien appeared on the MSU Today Podcast with Russ White. -
Kobe and Lupien weigh in on the role of forests and mass timber in state's climate plan
Published on April 2, 2022
As the State of Michigan moves to finalize a major climate plan, MSU Forestry faculty are weighing in on the need for forests and forests products, including mass timber, to be part of the solution. -
Director of MassTimber@MSU, Sandra Lupien, named a Notable Leader in Sustainability by Crain’s Detroit Business
Published on March 23, 2022
Crain's Detroit Business has named Sandra Lupien, director of MassTimber@MSU, a Notable Leader in Sustainability. -
MSU STEM Facility Earns WoodWorks Award for Using Mass Timber
Published on March 16, 2022
WoodWorks, the non-profit educational arm of the American Wood Products Council, acknowledged the use of mass timber in the Michigan State University STEM building with its 2022 Wood Design Award for Wood in Schools. -
MassTimber@MSU
Published on February 1, 2022
Sandra Lupien, the Director of MassTimber@MSU, shares an update on the program and the new STEM Teaching and Learning facility.
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