Timber Architecture Design Faculty Development Workshop at Auburn University

From June 2-5, 2026, Auburn University’s Mass Timber Collaborative will host an intensive three-and-a-half-day Timber Architecture Design Faculty Development Workshop led by Tom Chung, AIA, principal of Leers Weinzapfel Associates Architects. 

Sponsored by Think Wood, covering programming and participant travel expenses, this workshop will balance practice and academia to provide architecture faculty from schools around the country with a holistic understanding of mass timber construction. Uniting the themes of architecture, forestry, engineering, and construction, participants will gain hands-on mass timber experience through immersive educational sessions at Auburn’s world-renowned Rural Studio, site visits to mass timber buildings in Atlanta and on campus, tours of Rex Lumber’s active forestry harvesting operation and state-of-the-art sawmill, and behind-the-scenes access to SmartLam’s CLT production and fabrication facility. 

The Timber Architecture Design Workshop will equip faculty with practical strategies for integrating mass timber into design studios and coursework, informed by real-world case studies, firsthand exposure to the full value chain of wood products, and direct insights from leading architects and engineers on designing, detailing, and delivering mass timber buildings. With 30 spots available, it’s the largest timber faculty workshop to date, signaling a growing interest in and need for wood-focused education and training. 

Applications to participate in the workshop are due on April 17, 2026.