Study Architecture 
ProPEL 2025
Mass Timber Pedagogy
Mass Timber 101
Mass Timber 101
Mass Timber 101 provides a foundational introduction to contemporary wood design and construction. Designed for students new to the topic, these modules address common questions and misconceptions while establishing a clear understanding of how mass timber systems perform, where they are most effectively applied, and how they fit within today’s regulatory and project delivery frameworks.
Architects, engineers, and builders are often asked, why wood? The question is shaped by misconceptions about deforestation, fire safety, material performance, and cost. This introductory module addresses these concerns alongside a primer on the benefits of contemporary wood design and construction, from environmental performance to architectural potential. Target Courses: Studio, Seminar, Structures Delivery Method: Faculty and students use this presentation to understand the benefits of wood, from forest to building, and can refer back to this introductory content in support of more detailed discussions in other modules. |
Building on Why Wood? this module offers a high-level orientation to mass timber — what it is, how it differs from light-frame and heavy timber construction, and where it is most effectively deployed. Key terminology is defined, with an emphasis on engineered wood and mass timber structural products. Material performance considerations, including fire, moisture, acoustics, and vibration, provide context for understanding the code provisions that shape what can be built with mass timber. The module concludes with an overview of supply chains, lifecycle considerations, and how project delivery realities inform early design decisions. Target Courses: Studio, Seminar, Structures Delivery Method: Can be used as a presentation document or reference guide by faculty and students. |
This module introduces a diverse range of materials to consider in relation to a project’s structural performance requirements, code constraints, budget, and aesthetic goals, highlighting methods of component assembly and built examples of their use. Target Courses: Studio, Seminar, Structures Delivery Method: Can be used as a presentation document or reference guide by faculty and students. |
Building on Manufactured Timber Products, this module introduces the concept of a material’s life cycle, from planting and harvesting to manufacturing, fabrication, construction, use, and beyond. Importantly, this includes end of first life considerations, such as reuse, downcycling, and energy recovery, and how manufacturing, fabrication, and installation methods impact the viability and carbon outcomes of these trajectories. Target Courses: Studio, Integrated Delivery Method: Can be used as a presentation document or reference guide by faculty and students. |
Partners
Are you interested in learning more about the Mass Timber curriculum?
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Edwin Hernández-Ventura
Awards and Competitions Manager
ehernandez@acsa-arch.org
202-785-2324
Eric Wayne Ellis
Senior Director of Operations and Programs
eellis@acsa-arch.org
202-785-2324
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