Mass Timber Business Case Studies

Get real information on real deals. Developed collaboratively with Conrad Investment Management and project developers, this WoodWorks case study series examines the financial performance of U.S. projects constructed with mass timber structural systems. Business case studies fill a gap in available information by discussing qualitative influences and providing quantitative data to examine investment success, challenges, and lessons learned on mass timber projects across various building product sub-types.

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INTRO Cleveland / Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture / Forefront Structural Engineers / Fast + Epp / photo Nick Johnson, Tour D Space

Differentiate your Property with Mass Timber

Mass timber building systems offer many benefits that can increase the return on real estate investments, from cost and schedule savings to greater occupant appeal and higher lease rates. The resources on this page are intended to help developers and owners make informed decisions about their projects with insights on mass timber, its financial feasibility, and the latest market trends.

Building Trends How Can a Developer/Owner Get Started with Mass Timber?

Developed as part of WoodWorks’ ULI Greenprint Innovation Partnership, this 2-page document briefly covers mass timber and hybrid structures, structural components, maximizing returns through multiple projects, and vertical additions.

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Construction Management

Mass timber project management and installer training offered by WoodWorks and in partnership with other entities.

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Tall Mass Timber

Visit our tall timber page for answers to commonly asked questions, design guidance, and other resources related to projects with seven or more stories of mass timber.

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Cost and value-added benefits.

Cost estimating mass timber systems requires a holistic approach to compare costs and yield savings. A direct comparison of the price of a mass timber structural frame to the price of a steel/concrete frame will not provide an accurate overall project cost comparison. Mass timber has the potential to shave time off construction schedules and has other benefits that can impact the overall construction costs.

Mass timber is a custom prefabricated structural system and the costs can be optimized by close coordination between designers and builders. WoodWorks’ Mass Timber Cost and Design Optimization Checklists guide coordination between designers and builders as they estimate and make cost-related decisions on mass timber projects. The pre-design section of the checklists has tips for developers/owners related to assembling a design/builder team and contracts, as well as a list of potential benefits of building with mass timber. Mass timber has intangible value-added benefits, such as a differentiated aesthetic and environmental advantages, that can appeal to prospective tenants/ buyers, real estate investors and society at large.

Get the Mass Timber Cost and Design Optimization Checklists

Ascent / New Land Enterprises / Korb + Associates Architects / Photo VRX Media Group

Mapping Mass Timber

WoodWorks tracks mass timber projects in design, under construction and built across the U.S. as a resource for developers and design teams who want insights into market trends. Information is updated quarterly.

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Other Resources for Developers and Owners

Business Case:

Morningstar DBRS: A Credit Perspective on Mass Timber, As Its Use in U.S. Construction Projects Builds – Commentary Reported by Morningstar, January 2024
The Business Case for Mass Timber: Completing the Value Proposition – Recorded WoodWorks webinar, available via The Wood Institute, June 2023
Economic Impact Map – American Wood Council (AWC)
Mass Timber Spec Offices: Developers Share Business Case on Real Deals – Recorded WoodWorks webinar, available via The Wood Institute, November 2020
Innovative Wood Buildings: High Value | Low Impact – Recorded panel at the ULI Virtual Fall Meeting, available to ULI members, October 2020
Mass Timber’s Expanding Presence in the Commercial Building Industry – Article in ULI’s Urban Land magazine, January 2020

Expansion to New Building Product Types

Beyond the Beam: Mass Timber’s Expansion into New Spaces – Recorded panel at the ULI Fall Meeting, October 2024
The Tesla of Commercial Real Estate: How Mass Timber is Changing the Way We Design and Build, Recorded panel at the ULI Spring Meeting, April 2024
Redevelopments with Mass Timber, a Lightweight and Low-Carbon System – Recorded ULI webinar, May 2024
Affinius, Prologis Pioneering Wooden Warehouse Construction in North America – Article in ULI’s Urban Land magazine, June 2023
Mass Timber Warehouses: Performance, Sustainability & Aesthetic Appeal – Recorded WoodWorks webinar, available via The Wood Institute, March 2023

Wildfire Resilience + Timber Innovations:

The Business Case for Mass Timber and Wildfire Resilience: Creating Value & Reducing Fuels – Recorded ULI webinar, December 2022
Mass Timber: Providing Value in a Differentiated Product while Contributing to Sustainability and Resiliency Goals – ULI San Diego Article, October 2021
Firebreak: Wildfire Resilience Strategies for Real Estate – Report by ULI, 2020
Forests, Wildfire & Rural Communities – WoodWorks

Sustainability:

The Developer’s Guide to Embodied Carbon: Intervention Points for Building Greener – Interactive Report by ULI, available to ULI members, October 2024
The Materials Movement: Creating Value with Better Building Materials – Report by ULI, January 2024
UL10: Mass Timber – Article in ULI’s Urban Land magazine, November 2023
Meeting Sustainability Objectives with Wood Buildings – WoodWorks, October 2023
Sustainability Resources to Inform Structural Building Material Choices – WoodWorks
ULI Global Sustainability Outlook 2022 – Report by ULI, January 2022
Embodied Carbon in Building Materials for Real Estate – Report by ULI, January 2019

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