Now On Demand

Credits: 1 AIA LU/HSW; 1 AIBD P-CE; 0.1 IACET CEU
May qualify for learning hours through most Canadian architectural associations

With increasing frequency, design teams are turning to mass timber for its environmental attributes and natural warmth, as well as to speed construction. Sometimes, however, a hybrid structural solution might be a better fit, depending on local regulations, performance requirements, or architectural ambitions. Join RECORD and a panel of experts to explore a selection of exemplary projects—at a variety of scales and encompassing a range of building types—that combine mass timber with concrete or steel to create hybrid systems and make the most of each material.

As a partner at The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP, Brian Court, AIA has brought sustainable design to the forefront of the public realm. His performance-driven design process works in harmony with natural forces, shaping our environment and establishing a low-impact, regenerative future. Since joining the firm in 2001, Brian has led the design of numerous high-profile and complex landmark projects using a deft combination of time-tested and innovative design strategies and emerging technologies. This has earned him the reputation as an advocate for groundbreaking sustainable design.

Max Richter is a steadfast champion of mass timber design; as both a Certified Passive House Designer and an advocate of healthy building materials, he sees the design opportunities for mass timber in terms of the holistic benefits it can offer building occupants. His first exposure to mass timber as a building material was while he was working on a 12-story student housing project with a hybrid mass timber structure. Since then, he has been involved in the design of numerous other mass timber projects, including an 8-story residential project, and a 52-foot cantilevered canopy for a university stadium that is currently under construction.

John Peronto, S.E., P.E., CEng, EUR ING, FIStructE, FICE, SECB, LEED AP joined Thornton Tomasetti in 2004. Since then, he has designed a variety of building types, including commercial, residential, cultural, and aviation facilities. His broad expertise encompasses everything from long-span structures to megatall buildings—like Saudi Arabia’s 1-kilometer Jeddah Tower, which upon completion will be the tallest building in the world—and the use of innovative materials such as timber. He applies his knowledge in mechanical engineering, material science, and fatigue behavior to projects such as the award-winning TILT at 360 CHICAGO at the John Hancock Center, a mechanized steel-and-glass structure for which John is a patent inventor. John contributes to the development of the engineering profession by taking on leadership roles on technical committees in organizations such as the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, and through representing Thornton Tomasetti on the Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the environmental attributes of mass timber.
2. Describe typical mass timber products, such as cross-laminated timber, glue-laminated timber, and laminated-veneer lumber and explain how they are manufactured and outline their performance characteristics.
3. Describe how these mass-timber products are typically used in a range of construction typologies, including low-rise and tall structures.
4. Identify components that are often made of steel or concrete in mass-timber hybrid structures and explain why.

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