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 largest and most prominent 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.
News
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University Research Corridor Article Highlights MassTimber@MSU Leaders Research
Published on January 19, 2024
MSU’s mass timber leadership spotlighted in MetroMode. -
MassTimber@MSU, MI DNR Host 2023 Michigan Mass Timber Update: Breaking New Ground in Detroit
Published on January 5, 2024
The 2023 Michigan Mass Timber Update: Breaking New Ground convened more than 150 people engaged in Michigan’s mass timber ecosystem to share key updates, and identify priorities, next steps for 2024. -
MSU researchers explore emerging market for mass timber in Michigan
Published on December 6, 2023
Mass timber, engineered wood known for its strength and sustainability, has been used inside and outside of Michigan more frequently over the past decade to build and design large buildings. -
Leaders Celebrate Milestone for State's First Michigan-Sourced Mass Timber Building
Published on October 13, 2023
Michigan Department of Natural Resources breaks ground on mass timber Newberry Customer Service Center breaks ground in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. -
Sandra Lupien Joins 2023 World Economic Forum Transformation Summit
Published on October 11, 2023
Director of MassTimber@MSU, Sandra Lupien, attended the WEF Urban Transformation Summit in Detroit, Michigan and spoke about opportunities to advance mass timber.
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