Initiatives

Mass Timber Ready

Helping Public Agencies Meet Climate Goals with Mass Timber

Public agencies across Washington are under increasing pressure to deliver facilities that meet climate mandates  while replacing aging facilities and building new community infrastructure. Mass timber construction offers a powerful opportunity to reduce the embodied carbon of construction, support rural economies and the timber industry, promote forest ecosystem health, and create healthy, inspiring public buildings.

However, many agencies are missing the technical expertise to effectively integrate mass timber in their construction projects.

Our Mass Timber Ready program provides targeted early-stage support to public agencies planning new civic or community facilities.

Intended audience:

  • School districts
  • Higher education institutions
  • Cities and counties
  • Libraries
  • Public development authorities
  • Special purpose governments
  • Tribal governments
  • Owner's representatives

Our goal is to help agencies determine whether mass timber is a viable option—and set the project up for success.

The Mass Timber Ready program helps public agencies turn climate goals into real projects. The program provides:

Mass Timber Feasibility Support

We help agencies evaluate whether mass timber is a good fit for their project.

Services may include:

  • Code and regulatory considerations
  • Structural system and building typology alignment
  • Embodied carbon reduction analysis (timber vs. baseline)
  • Order-of-magnitude cost and escalation (timing) considerations
  • Mass timber procurement and sustainable wood sourcing opportunities
  • Case study review of comparable projects in other jurisdictions
  • Identification of project risks and opportunities

Deliverable: Mass Timber Feasibility Memo

Procurement & RFQ Support

Mass timber projects benefit from thoughtful procurement strategies that attract experienced design and construction teams.

We assist agencies with:

  • RFQ language and evaluation criteria
  • Procurement models that support timber delivery
  • Owner education on project delivery options
  • Aligning climate goals with project requirements

Deliverable: Mass Timber-Ready RFQs for AEC Team

Team Selection Guidance

Choosing the right team is critical to the success of a timber project.

We help agencies:

  • Identify qualified design and construction management teams
  • Develop evaluation criteria for timber expertise
  • Participate in selection interviews as technical advisors
  • Connect agencies with industry leaders

Deliverable: Expert-informed project team selection