Six Buildings Proving Mass Timber Isn’t Niche Anymore
More and more, mass timber is being used in the construction of commercial offices, schools and college campuses, landmark civic projects, and mid-rise housing. But a growing number of projects are demonstrating mass timber’s versatility—expanding its use across a wide range of sectors. From wastewater infrastructure and biotech labs to long-span arenas and industrial facilities, mass timber is no longer a niche material choice. Increasingly, it’s proving to be a low-carbon, effective option that can compete on cost, schedule, and design for just about any building type.
Mass Timber Brings Civic Ambition to a Public Utility
Public and utility buildings have traditionally prioritized function over form—designed to perform, not to be seen. But the Orange County Sanitation District’s new headquarters in Fountain Valley, California, challenges that assumption, using mass timber to elevate infrastructure into something more visible and civic-minded.
Initially, timber wasn’t part of the equation. As a public agency serving 2.6 million residents, OC San needed to justify every decision against cost and long-term value. The design team developed a conventional steel-and-concrete scheme alongside a mass timber option, evaluating both through detailed cost modeling and lifecycle analysis. It became clear that mass timber was a viable option—one that could meet budget expectations while reducing embodied carbon and improving workplace quality. As HDR principal Tom Knittel noted, “They needed to be able to say, ‘We made the right decision. We really did our homework.’”
Replacing a fragmented campus of trailers, the new 100,000-square-foot headquarters consolidates operations into a daylit workplace that also serves as a public-facing space. Exposed mass timber structure reinforces a sense of transparency—turning a typically hidden system into a point of civic pride. As HDR principal Kate Diamond put it, “Not long ago mass timber felt niche. Now contractors and clients want to be part of it.”
A Better Workplace for Essential Workers
Municipal operations and public works buildings are often designed without the workers’ experience in mind—typically optimized for durability, low cost, and function. But the City of Salem Shops Public Works facility in Oregon rethinks that approach, using wood to create a workplace that supports both performance and well-being across a diverse workforce while meeting budget constraints.
The 50,000-square-foot building brings together administrative staff and field crews maintaining the city’s infrastructure—workers constantly moving between office tasks and physically demanding outdoor work. The design responds with clear zoning and shared spaces that are durable, intuitive, and welcoming. A glulam-supported structure anchors the building, with exposed wood integrated throughout to bring clarity and warmth.
Rather than treating material as an afterthought, wood shapes the daily experience. As architect David Keltner noted, the goal was to create “an environment that’s going to help people really perform and be their best selves… wood is hard to beat for that.”
The result is a practical, high-performing facility that elevates a typically overlooked building type—showing how even everyday civic infrastructure can deliver on function, cost, and human experience.
How Mass Timber Can Meet the Demands of Biotech Manufacturers
Biotech and pharmaceutical facilities are among the most technically demanding building types—highly regulated, risk-averse, and traditionally built with steel and concrete. But United Therapeutics’ Warp-10 facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, challenges that norm, using mass timber in a building type long considered out of reach for wood.
For the company, the move wasn’t aesthetic—it was mission-driven. As a public benefit corporation, United Therapeutics prioritizes reducing environmental impact alongside performance and cost. Mass timber was central to realizing that balance in this project, extending across the structure and envelope to help drive toward zero embodied carbon while meeting the strict requirements of a cGMP manufacturing facility.
Achieving that balance required a hybrid approach. Cleanroom environments—where exposed wood isn’t permitted—are separated within the building, while mass timber defines offices and circulation areas. Prefabrication accelerated construction, and the material’s strength-to-weight ratio and carbon storage supported both performance and sustainability goals.
Warp-10 meets the demands of advanced manufacturing while showing that wood systems can be a viable solution. As the project team noted, “The reality is the more people that undertake projects like this, the more you’ll start to see it in mainstream development.”
Reimagining the High-Performance Biotech Lab with Mass Timber
Biotech laboratories are typically defined by precision, sterility, and performance—qualities that have long made steel and concrete the default. But Adimab’s office and laboratory building in Lebanon, New Hampshire, uses mass timber to create a high-performance research environment that is both technically rigorous and materially warm.
For the biotech company, the goal extended beyond adding space. Rapid growth prompted a rethink of what a lab could be—one that supports scientific performance while attracting talent and aligning with environmental values. Mass timber became central to that approach, enabling a low-carbon structure that integrates seamlessly with its forested site while maintaining the strict technical requirements of a modern lab.
Beneath the biophilic design is a highly coordinated structural system. Glulam columns and CLT panels create open floor plates that accommodate complex mechanical systems without compromising layout or performance. Concrete-topped mass timber floors meet vibration and acoustic demands, while dedicated service zones streamline infrastructure—demonstrating that wood can meet the exacting standards of laboratory environments.
The result is a facility that performs at a high level while redefining expectations for the building type. As architect Sylvia Richards put it, “You might assume you have to sacrifice performance to use mass timber in a lab, but that’s just not true.”
Game Changer: A New Playbook for Long-Span Sport Arenas
Large-span athletic facilities have long been thought to belong to steel and concrete, driven by the need for wide, column-free spans. But the San Antonio Spurs’ Victory Capital Performance Center uses mass timber to achieve long spans while redefining the experience of these buildings.
At nearly 140,000 square feet, the facility uses glulam beams and CLT decking to create clear-span interiors for full-sized basketball courts and training areas. Beams up to 130 feet long deliver the open, unobstructed space required for professional performance.
The result is a facility that meets the demands of long-span design while expanding expectations for the building type. As the design team noted, “Our goal: infuse the facility with a natural palette, exposed wood, light, views, and spaces that prioritize human performance, circadian rhythms, and rest as much as training… I think it can encourage new possibilities for using more wood in professional sport facilities in the future.”
Timber and the City: Bridging Back to Wood
Modern bridge design has largely relied on steel, but recent projects signal a return to one of the oldest structural materials—wood. The Moynihan Connector in New York City uses mass timber to deliver a 260-foot pedestrian bridge that performs structurally while contributing to the public realm.
Linking Moynihan Train Hall to the High Line, the bridge spans a heavily trafficked corridor to complete a key urban connection. Its glulam Warren truss—composed of repeating triangular members—efficiently handles loads while enabling a streamlined, prefabricated system. Major components were fabricated off-site and installed in hours, demonstrating the speed and precision possible with mass timber.
As SOM structural engineering principal Chuck Besjak noted, “The idea of using timber for urban infrastructure is appropriate for this particular project because it was an extension of the High Line… We were able to reduce the embodied carbon by almost 50%.” The result is infrastructure that performs like a bridge but reads as architecture—showing that even in high-traffic urban environments, mass timber can compete with conventional materials.
