News in offsite construction


Auburn University Faculty and Fellow Scientists Look at 3-D Printing as an Option to Address Lack of Affordable Rural Housing

Several Auburn University faculty members and fellow scientists will be joining in an interdisciplinary project to address the hard-hitting reality that affordable housing is out of the reach of many Americans living in rural areas. The study, which spans the disciplines of engineering, chemistry, forest resources and architecture, also draws strongly upon the expertise of scientists at its partner institution, the University of Idaho.

Shawmut Design Building 75-Foot Office Building in LA out of Cross-Laminated Timber

Working in conjunction with the Santa Monica, California-based real estate firm Redcar Properties and Portland, Oregon-based architecture and design firm Lever Construction, Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction is constructing a 75-foot-tall, 125,000 square-foot mixed-use office building in Los Angeles using cross-laminated timber.

Segezha Group Announces Plans to Build Second Glued Laminated Timber Plant in Karelia, Russia

The Segezha Group has announced it plans to build a glued laminated timber plant in Segeza, Republic of Karelia, Russia. The new plant will be located next to the Group’s primary asset in the Republic of Karelia, Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill JSC. The new facility will join the Sokol Woodworking Plant JSC, which is currently the only Segezha Group facility manufacturing glued laminated timber.

Minster of Forestry Urges Builders to “Think Timber” in the Construction of Ireland’s Homes

The Republic of Ireland’s Senator Pippa Hackett, the Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry, wants to see timber playing a ‘big part’ in the future of construction of Ireland’s homes. The senator made the comments as she launched a series of statements by the National Council for Forest Research and Development (COFORD).

Colorado Based Timber Age Systems Inc. Expands Manufacturing of Recycled Low-Cost Wood Building Products

Timber Age Systems Inc., a Durango, Colorado based company that specializes in making cross-laminated timber (CLT) for sustainable building projects, has announced its plans to expand its manufacturing capacity and develop a new facility after receiving a grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Program.

Hemp: Next New Option in Building Components

Blain Brownell, FAIA, is an architect and materials researcher. He is also the Director of the School of Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. According to an article published in Architect Magazine, Brownell’s research has helped him identify another building product, which he believes has the potential of revolutionizing and replacing concrete, steel, and even wood in some, not all, structural building components. The fourth building option is Hemp.

World’s Tallest Hybrid Timber Tower Plans Approved

The 39-story Sydney Tower, billed as the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower when it was first unveiled in 2020, has been approved. The Shop Architects and BVN’s $1 billion (A$) will be the new home of Atlassian, the Australian tech company. The tower adjoins Sydney’s Central Station and it is intended to be a linchpin of the state government’s planned technology precinct.