Posts tagged mass timber
Green Canopy NODE Exhibits at the 2024 HUD Innovative Housing Showcase

Green Canopy NODE had the honor of exhibiting US HUD Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall. Supported by the US Forest Service, American Wood Council, US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and Mercer Mass Timber, our exhibit showcased how mass timber and prefabricated, integrated systems can revolutionize offsite construction for faster, more affordable housing.

Aimed at raising awareness of new and affordable housing solutions, the HUD Showcase is a public event that focuses on increasing affordable housing, reducing construction costs, improving energy efficiency, and lowering housing expenses for both homeowners and renters.

Green Canopy NODE’s exhibit featured a showcase of our prefabricated, modular mass timber building system, including our proprietary utility wall. Visitors had the opportunity to explore a volumetric module and interact with various layers of a mass timber home, including the rainscreen siding, timber fiber insulation, and weather barrier.

Highlights from our exhibit:

The key benefits of our mass timber building system include:

  • Sustainability: Mass timber homes are exceptional in carbon sequestration, storing the carbon absorbed by trees throughout their growth, which remains locked in the timber for the life of the building. This results in a significant environmental impact, with mass timber homes storing 6.6 times more carbon than comparable traditional stick-frame homes.

  • Speed: The prefabricated components of mass timber enable quicker on-site assembly, significantly shortening construction times. Our approach is 44% faster than traditional construction methods, leading to substantial savings in time and cost.

  • Strength: Mass timber offers durability and strength comparable to traditional construction materials, ensuring the longevity and reliability of the structures.

  • Waste Reduction: 29% of landfill waste comes from construction and demolition - prefabricated mass timber can reach 95% efficiency with the potential to downcycle into other materials.

Our proprietary utility system combines mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services into pre-engineered units to maximize efficiency. Key benefits include:

  • Efficiency and Speed: Our prefabricated utility kits significantly reduce the time required for traditional mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installations by 50%, eliminating many of the inefficiencies and potential callbacks associated with conventional methods.

  • Architectural Coordination: Our systems are meticulously designed to integrate seamlessly with the designated layouts of kitchens and bathrooms, and are optimized for use across multiple floors, ensuring a cohesive and functional design.

  • Seamless Installation: Preconstructed in an off-site factory during the site work phase, our utility kits are ready for a smooth and seamless installation process during the framing phase, enhancing overall project efficiency.

Our team had a wonderful time connecting with other industry leaders at the showcase, and the event underscored the critical role of innovation in addressing the pressing challenges of climate and housing. Engaging with forward-thinking organizations reinforced our commitment to pioneering solutions that not only meet current needs but help shape a more sustainable and resilient future for all.

Integrate our building systems into your next project – learn how you can partner with our Development Services.

Featured in GeekWire: Fire resistant, quake safe, climate friendly: Mass timber is on the rise as a construction alternative
 
 

Mass timber is revolutionizing construction as a climate-friendly alternative to concrete and steel, with the carbon footprint of mass timber buildings being 40% less than traditional materials. This innovative approach is reshaping the construction industry and paving the way for a more sustainable future.

The article, Fire resistant, quake safe, climate friendly: Mass timber is on the rise as a construction alternative by Lisa Stiffler, contributor to GeekWire, explores several types of Mass Timber projects, including Green Canopy NODE’s Mass Timber Model Home. Read the article to learn how mass timber is revolutionizing construction, and don’t miss the insights from Green Canopy NODE’s co-CEO Bec Wilder.

Mass Timber's Potential to Revolutionize the Construction Industry

We’re excited about the potential for mass timber, and specifically cross-laminated timber, to help us on our quest to revolutionize construction and deliver sustainable, healthy homes to everyone.

What is Mass Timber and Cross-Laminated Timber?

Mass timber is a category of wood product made by fastening or bonding smaller wood components with nails, dowels, or adhesives. Mass timber is exceptionally strong, can be an excellent low carbon substitute for concrete and steel and is particularly well-suited for modular construction and prefab construction.

Cross-laminated timber blocks
Photo courtesy of Oregon Forest Resources Institute

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is specific type of mass timber, made from wood that has been stacked at 90-degree angles from each other and glued together with a structural adhesive to form panels. Think of CLT as a giant, thick solid sheet of wood. Similar to plywood, but made of solid lumber instead of thin veneers.

CLT panels can be used for the entire structure of a home and has many benefits including:

  • Health & Wellness: CLT can be used to create beautiful, quiet and healthier homes that can help unlock the promised benefits of biophilic design.

  • Carbon Sequestration: CLT naturally stores carbon from the atmosphere, which is one significant step to moving beyond net zero energy toward an even more environmentally responsible net zero carbon building.

  •  Circular Economy: As a more durable product, CLT homes will last longer than standard code-built homes. At the end of the structure’s life, it can also be more easily deconstructed and re-used rather than ending up in a landfill.

The Path Beyond Net Zero Ready Homes

If you have followed Green Canopy NODE over the years, you have known the company to be determined to innovate within the world of real estate and build much more sustainable homes than code requires. The team has built increasingly more sustainable homes over the years, proving that homebuilders can deliver net zero energy ready homes at roughly the same cost as code-built homes. However, to take sustainability in housing further and build at increasingly lower costs, the slow to transform industry needs to incorporate innovative construction technologies and leverage offsite manufacturing. 

The Power of Manufacturing & Green Canopy NODE

The team, the board, and the shareholders of Green Canopy NODE believe that through the power of manufacturing, Green Canopy NODE can realize the full potential of its mission to build homes, businesses, and relationships to help regenerate communities and environments.  To that end, Green Canopy NODE is excited about the promise of cross-laminated timber as a structural technology solution in the residential mid-to-low rise real estate space. CLT is ideal for leveraging manufacturing. As an engineered wood product, it is more dimensionally stable and easy to carve and groove using large precise computer controlled cutting machines. Controlling uniformity and tolerances allows for efficient installation while maximizing structure and sustainability. 

Innovating to Deliver CLT Housing at all Income Levels

The challenge of building with CLT is the increased cost associated with the cost of extra wood in the floors and walls, especially in mid-to-low rise residential buildings. Green Canopy NODE is working on innovative financing, wood sourcing, construction technologies, design, and manufacturing strategies to lower the cost of construction and make CLT available for housing at all income levels.

For those of you who like to mine for more information here are some links with additional detail on CLT and its benefits: