Building Successfully with Wood: A 2025 Resource Roundup
Jan 15, 2026
WoodWorks
At WoodWorks, our mission is to help architects, engineers, contractors, and developers
build successfully with wood.
Each year, we translate lessons from active projects, questions from project teams, and evolving code and construction practices into practical resources you can apply directly to your work. These publications are one piece of our broader support that also includes free technical assistance, continuing education, and real-time insight into projects advancing across North America through the WoodWorks Innovation Network (WIN).
Below is a roundup of the wood design and construction resources our team published in 2025—organized by topic to make it easy to find what’s most relevant to you.
From code strategies and enclosure detailing to case studies and in-depth technical guides, these resources reflect WoodWorks’ ongoing commitment to supporting AEC+Ds at every stage of a wood project.
Expert Tips: Targeted Guidance for Common Design Questions
Series: Mixed-Use Code Strategies
- Part 1: Incidental Uses, Accessory Occupancies, and Small Spaces
- Part 2: Separated vs. Nonseparated Occupancies and Fire Areas
Series: Exterior Walls in Mass Timber Buildings Series
- Part 1: Code Requirements and Commonly Used Materials ⭐(TOP READ)
- Part 2: Common Floor-to-Wall Details
- Part 3: Cladding Material Allowances, Types, and Support Details
- Part 4: Panelization
- Part 5: Thermal Enclosure Design
Light-Frame Wood Design
- Use of Gun Nails in Wood-Framed Shear Walls and Diaphragms
- Calculating the Capacity of Multiple Shear Walls in a Line
- (Update) Using Dead Loads to Resist Shear Wall Overturning
Mass Timber Design
- CLT Shear Wall Options in the U.S. ⭐(TOP READ)
- Mass Timber Moisture Management for Construction
- Sealants and Adhesives at Intersecting Mass Timber Members: Understanding Code Compliance and Design Impacts
- Delegated Design vs. Design Assist for Mass Timber Structures
- Design Considerations for Poured Toppings on Mass Timber Floor Panels
- Design Considerations for Horizontal Penetrations in Glulam Beams ⭐(TOP READ)
- Control Layer Continuity for Mass Timber Building Enclosure Design
- Fire Design of Gypsum Wall Board Over Mass Timber
- LEED Credits for Use of Wood Products
Have a question or don’t see a topic in the library?
Email help@woodworks.org or get in touch with your Regional Director.
Project Case Studies: Lessons from Built Work
Go behind the scenes with projects teams sharing their projects, including mass timber, light-frame wood, and hybrid wood construction—from affordable multi-family housing and offices to civic and recreational developments.
Mass Timber/Light-frame Hybrid Optimizes Affordable Housing Design
Small footprint, big impact: 12 stories of mass timber affordable housing
Seattle developer leads the way with mass timber lab-ready office
Victory Capital Performance Center
Storied NBA team chooses mass timber to ‘invest in their best’
Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University
Mass timber helps museum visitors ‘discover the past, protect the future’
See More of What’s Being Constructed
The WoodWorks Innovation Network (WIN) showcases mass timber and innovative light-frame projects complete or underway in North America.
In-Depth Resources: Guides, Manuals, and Design Examples
Structural Design of Mass Timber Elements: Gravity Design Examples
Step-by-step guide to the design of common gravity framing systems using CLT, NLT, DLT, and glulam/GLT
Mass Timber Fire & Acoustic Database
Find fire and acoustically-rated assemblies, connections, and penetrations using this evolving database of systems compliant with North American standards.
Five-Story Light-Frame Wood Over Podium
Design example illustrating the seismic and wind design of a building with five stories of light-frame wood construction over a one-story concrete podium
Solution Papers: Breaking Down Critical Design & Construction Topics
Construction Quality Assurance on Mass Timber Projects: Inspection and Observation
Considerations for project teams developing inspection and observation plans
Effective Termite Protection for Multi-Family and Commercial Wood Buildings
Techniques for keeping wood-frame buildings pest-free
Inspiration: Award-Winning Wood Design
See the projects that took home Wood in Architecture Awards last year.
Research & More
1510 Webster Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment
Compares a 19-story Type IV-A mass timber building and a functionally equivalent Type I-A concrete structure with a primary focus on embodied carbon
Mass Timber in Three Regions Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Study
Summarizes three studies comparing the embodied carbon and cost of conventional designs to mass timber alternatives in Atlanta, Denver, and Minneapolis
Is Your City or State Government Incentivizing Innovative Wood Solutions? See a working list of Policies That Incentivize Wood Use
Need project-specific guidance?
WoodWorks Regional Directors provide free, technical assistance and education to project teams considering or using wood. Connect with your Regional Director to discuss code pathways, building system selection, detailing questions, and more—at any stage of design or construction.