Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Oct 4
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae... #MassTimber #CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber

Wanted: deep technical expert ...
Wanted: deep technical expert on mass timber in all its permutations. Why? 🎙Redefining Energy - Tech nerdcast. I've spent a bunch of time over the past months digging into mass timber, cross… | Michael Barnard

Wanted: deep technical expert on mass timber in all its permutations. Why? 🎙Redefining Energy - Tech nerdcast. I've spent a bunch of time over the past months digging into mass timber, cross laminated timber and the like as a broad spectrum nerd. I identified it as a major wedge in reinforced concrete replacement as part of my deep dive into cement decarbonization last year, but hadn't gone deep and broad on it until earlier this year. Now I have, through a series of articles which included responding to comments and challenges in various places. This has culminated in a 73 page white paper on the subject, with a Canadian focus given its leading role in the space, alignment with federal housing policy and industrial opportunity. Report PDF link: https://lnkd.in/dnf2deWr Apple Redefining Energy - Tech link: https://lnkd.in/gUXhiwQD Spotify Redefining Energy - Tech link: https://lnkd.in/gvqvd4N4 I have a rather contrarian podcast. I spend 90 minutes talking to deep experts on decarbonization subjects where I have done sufficient research to have an interesting conversation on a subject that's important from a climate lever perspective, fiscally viable and interesting to me. Then I break it up into a couple of very lightly edited episodes. Long form nerdcasts, no murders (except of terrible tech ideas). Know a completely engaged technical expert in the field who might want to have an interesting 90 minute convo with someone who knows enough to be dangerous about her or his field? Send them my way. Spread the net. Thanks.

Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Sep 17, 2025
www.linkedin.com/posts/lyle-t... #MassTimber #CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber

This is a great series of post...
This is a great series of posts that highlight that perhaps the paradigm of hard-to-decarbonize steel and cement is a tad overblown. They aren't going away, but increasing substitution will have a… | Lyle Trytten

This is a great series of posts that highlight that perhaps the paradigm of hard-to-decarbonize steel and cement is a tad overblown. They aren't going away, but increasing substitution will have a real effect, just as it has on fossil fuels with EV substitution.

Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Sep 13, 2025
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae... #MassTimber #CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber

From Reuse To Burial: Managing...
From Reuse To Burial: Managing Mass Timber Beyond The Building Stage Mass timber is one of the most promising ways to cut construction’s carbon footprint. It replaces concrete and steel, and it… | Michael Barnard

From Reuse To Burial: Managing Mass Timber Beyond The Building Stage Mass timber is one of the most promising ways to cut construction’s carbon footprint. It replaces concrete and steel, and it locks away carbon absorbed by trees. But that benefit only lasts if we plan for what happens when buildings reach the end of their life. CleanTechnica article in series: https://lnkd.in/grkFasF6 Reuse is the best option. With the right connectors, cross laminated timber panels can be disassembled and put back into service. Cascading uses, from beams to furniture to insulation, extend storage further. When reuse is no longer possible, options like biochar, bioenergy with carbon capture, or engineered burial can keep carbon out of the atmosphere for centuries. The least effective choice is landfill, where methane emissions can wipe out earlier gains. Europe has already banned landfilling organics, and North America is under pressure to follow. Canada has an opportunity to lead. By supporting pilots in biochar, BECCS, and design for disassembly, and by avoiding policies that unfairly penalize mass timber, we can make sure this material remains a climate asset for a century or more.

Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Sep 10, 2025
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae... #SharedFacts re #CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber

Adhesives, Dowels & Veneer...
Adhesives, Dowels & Veneers: The Industrial Choices Shaping Mass Timber Mass timber is becoming central to the climate and housing conversation because it stores carbon, displaces concrete and… | Michael Barnard

Adhesives, Dowels & Veneers: The Industrial Choices Shaping Mass Timber Mass timber is becoming central to the climate and housing conversation because it stores carbon, displaces concrete and steel, and allows faster modular assembly. CleanTechnica article in mass timber series: https://lnkd.in/gs42zcBB But the future of the sector will be shaped not by architecture alone but by the production technologies behind the panels. Milling logs into dimensional lumber for CLT fits into Canada’s existing sawmill industry and can scale quickly, but it produces waste and depends on traditional infrastructure. Veneer peeling and rotary processes deliver higher yields and uniform strength, making them attractive for industrial hubs, but they require large capital-intensive plants and steady log supply. Both approaches have strengths, and the choice between them is not trivial. The same debate plays out between adhesives and mechanical fastening. Adhesives dominate because they deliver strength, reliability, and speed. Yet they add embodied carbon, depend on petrochemicals, and complicate recycling. Mechanical dowels and screws make panels easier to disassemble and reuse, but they are weaker, bulkier, and less standardized. New research into lignin-based adhesives offers a potential path to reconcile strength with lower carbon inputs by turning a wood byproduct into a high-value bonding material. Canada faces a strategic decision. Sticking with conventional CLT keeps the industry close to existing infrastructure and regional sawmills, while pushing toward veneer-driven plants could establish a globally competitive industrial base. The outcome matters for housing delivery, job creation, and Canada’s credibility on climate. Mass timber’s appeal is simple: it turns trees into carbon-storing buildings that rise faster and cleaner than concrete. But the path forward depends on choices about production technology, adhesives, and industrial strategy. Those choices will determine whether the sector grows in fits and starts or becomes a cornerstone of Canada’s housing and climate future.

Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Sep 9, 2025
www.linkedin.com/posts/michae... #CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber #EcosystemOptimization

Why An All-Electric Forestry S...
Why An All-Electric Forestry Supply Chain Matters for Mass Timber's Carbon Balance Cross laminated timber already stores more carbon than it emits. Each cubic metre locks away close to a ton of CO2,… | Michael Barnard

Why An All-Electric Forestry Supply Chain Matters for Mass Timber's Carbon Balance Cross laminated timber already stores more carbon than it emits. Each cubic metre locks away close to a ton of CO2, while supply chain emissions are only about 120 kilograms. That makes it net negative cradle to gate, with some provisos explored in a later piece in the series. But diesel burned in harvesters and trucks, natural gas in kilns, and fossil adhesives still eat into the balance. CleanTechnica article, one of a series on mass timber: https://lnkd.in/eTKdBNPy The good news is that these emissions can be driven down with technology we already have. Biomass boilers can replace natural gas kilns using sawdust and bark residues, where they haven't already. Battery electric logging trucks have already been trialed in BC and can scale with the right infrastructure. Lignin-based adhesives are moving from pilots to production. Factories can run fully on renewable electricity, with on-site solar and cogeneration closing the loop. Canada is in a strong position to lead. The forestry sector operates well below sustainable harvest levels, and a large share of the cut still goes to low-value paper products or raw log exports. Redirecting more of that resource to mass timber is an obvious move. It creates jobs, adds value, and delivers carbon-negative building materials. Policy is the lever. Carbon pricing, procurement standards, and climate funds can accelerate investment in clean forestry chains. Indigenous partnerships and climate-smart management can ensure higher yields without sacrificing ecosystem health. The result is not just lower emissions but a more resilient forestry sector in the face of pests, wildfire, and shifting growth zones. Mass timber is already carbon negative. With electrified harvesting, hauling, drying, and fossil-free adhesives, it becomes a core material of 21st century construction: scalable, sustainable, and a foundation for housing, economy, and climate alignment.

Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Sep 7, 2025
#CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber cleantechnica-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/cleantec... #SharedFacts

From Towers To Turbines: The M...
From Towers To Turbines: The Most Fascinating Mass Timber Projects Worldwide - CleanTechnica

Explore the world’s most unique mass timber structures, from the tallest towers to quirky canopies, bridges, and even wind turbine masts.

CleanTechnica
Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Sep 6, 2025
#CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber www.linkedin.com/posts/michae... Excellent building material Major #CO2Sequestration

From Harvest To Housing: CLT L...
From Harvest To Housing: CLT Locks Away More Carbon Than It Emits Carbon accounting defines the debate about cross laminated timber. The claim that CLT is carbon negative depends on boundaries and… | Michael Barnard

From Harvest To Housing: CLT Locks Away More Carbon Than It Emits Carbon accounting defines the debate about cross laminated timber. The claim that CLT is carbon negative depends on boundaries and rules, but the math is clear. Environmental product declarations for Canadian production show process emissions of about 120 kilograms of CO2 per cubic meter. That same cubic meter stores close to a ton absorbed during tree growth. The balance is negative by a wide margin before panels even reach a construction site. CleanTechnica article, fifth in series: https://lnkd.in/gwJFg-Jw Standards often separate storage from emissions, treating it as temporary until end-of-life is known. Yet when CLT is used in long-lived buildings, carbon remains locked away for decades. Designing for reuse or recycling can extend storage further. Policy can support this by requiring EPDs for all structural materials and by granting credit for storage in buildings expected to last fifty to a hundred years. Supply chain choices matter. Diesel logging equipment, fossil kilns, and petrochemical adhesives all add to emissions. Electrifying harvesting and hauling, shifting kilns to biomass or heat pumps, and scaling bio-based adhesives reduce that positive number. With Canada’s grid heading to net zero by 2035, electrification directly strengthens the carbon negative balance. Risks include inconsistent standards across jurisdictions and ongoing skepticism about permanence. But enablers are in place: developer demand for transparency, European precedents that responsibly credit storage, and Canada’s advantage in forestry and clean power. With better accounting frameworks, CLT will be recognized not only as carbon negative in practice, but in policy, aligning housing, economy, and climate outcomes.

Allen Tien, MD, MHS mdlogix.com 94,698 田一彦Aug 30, 2025
#CLT #CrossLaminatedTimber www.linkedin.com/posts/michae... #HelicalEconomics #EnergyNetworkScience #SharedFacts for #CommunityProsperity

How CLT can solve Canada's...
How CLT can solve Canada's housing and climate crises | Michael Barnard posted on the topic | LinkedIn

Canada’s Timber Moment: CLT As The Fastest Lever for Housing, Jobs, & Climate Canada’s housing and climate crises are converging. We need 500,000 new homes per year to stabilize affordability, but completions remain closer to 250,000. At the same time, construction locks in millions of tons of emissions through concrete and steel before anyone moves in. CleanTechnica article, first of a series: https://lnkd.in/gjcRwJVT There is a single lever that can shift both problems: cross laminated timber, paired with modular construction. CLT is strong, renewable, and stores carbon. Modular factories can standardize production, cut build times by 30 to 50 percent, and deliver housing at scale. This is not theory. A cubic meter of CLT stores roughly a ton of CO2 while emitting only a fraction to produce. Replacing concrete and steel in mid rise housing cuts embodied emissions 15 to 40 percent and accelerates delivery. Brock Commons at UBC proved this, with its structural build completed in less than ten weeks. Costs are approaching parity and will be cheaper in the future with straightforward actions by the government and industry. The path forward is clear. Government must anchor demand with multi year contracts, pre approved pattern books, and procurement rules that reward low carbon materials. Finance must back regional factories to scale production. Canada has the forests, engineering expertise, and policy signals to lead globally in mass timber. The opportunity is immediate. Industrialized housing with CLT can ease affordability, cut emissions, and create a new advanced manufacturing sector. The window will not stay open. | 23 comments on LinkedIn

dezeen (unofficial)May 2, 2022

Cosmic ADU is a “self-powered home” that uses no fossil fuels

US startup Cosmic has created a solar-powered accessory dwelling unit that is built using a special construction process and generates far more electricity than it needs.

Based in San Francisco, Cosmic was founded by Sasha Jokic, an entrepreneur, inventor and trained architect who has worked in the design and construction field for over 14 years. Previous ventures include Formdwell, a startup company that is creating new construction tools powered by intelligent robots.

For his latest project, Jokic and his team at Cosmic have developed an efficient construction system and an all-electric, zero-emissions home that is meant to be "a new, bold step in solving the housing and climate crisis".

"We've developed a unique, self-powered home platform that enables us to build carbon-neutral, healthy and incredibly efficient homes at high speed and lower cost," the company said.

Cosmic Studio was designed to use no fossil fuels

The Cosmic buildings diverge from the norm in a few ways. According to the company, they are constructed using a streamlined process that is faster, more economical and less wasteful than typical methods.

Moreover, the buildings are designed to generate their own power while using minimal energy and no fossil fuels. Plus, they can generate extra power that is stored and redistributed.

Cosmic created accessory dwelling units in a variety of sizes

The team has completed its first model unit, an ADU called Cosmic Studio, which has one level and totals 350 square feet (33 square metres). The compact dwelling holds a bathroom and an open area for sleeping, living, dining and cooking.

While this initial unit was conceived as housing, the company emphasized that the buildings could be used for other functions, such as playrooms and offices. The need for flexible buildings has become amplified due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The ‘American Dream' 2.0 is a home where we live, sleep, work, school and play – a flexible space that keeps us and the planet healthy," the company said.

The building can be used as a residential space or office

Cosmic creates its units via a "hybrid prefab approach", with parts of the building made in a factory and other components built on-site.

The frame, or chassis, is a modular system made of standardized components.

The modules come in different sizes – ranging from 18 to 45 square feet (1.7 to 4.1 square metres) – and modules are combined to form buildings of varying scales. Fourteen standard modules were used to create the chassis for the Cosmic Studio unit.

Fourteen standard modules were used to create the chassis for the Cosmic Studio unit

"The chassis is both exceptionally strong for greater structural performance and highly adaptable to accommodate a wide range of home layouts," said Jokic.

The chassis is made of metal and wood. The joists, joints and decking are fabricated using thin sheet metal and tubes, while other structural elements are made of sustainably sourced wood. The roof is standing-seam metal.

The module's components are built in a factory, put into flat-pack containers and then transported to the site via a flatbed truck. A module's maximum weight is 600 pounds (272 kilograms), making it relatively easy to offload and assemble with a small telehandler. No cranes are required.

The home is made with sustainably sourced woods

"Unlike other prefab ADUs companies that deliver pre-assembled big and bulky modules, making them expensive and difficult to ship, Cosmic is transporting chassis modules as a flat-pack on a small-size flatbed," said Jokic.

Also delivered to the site are roof underlayment, facade and interior walls, and doors and triple-glazed windows that are manually attached using Cosmic's "click-in joinery system". These elements are built on-site.

Some aspects of the dwelling are created in a factory while others are assembled on site

"We drive significant cost and performance improvements on the chassis, leaving less expensive and simpler components, such as walls and finishings, to be done by professional builders on site, in the relatively cost-effective way they already do," the team said.

The home sits atop a proprietary foundation that consists of underground anchors, above-ground legs and self-levelling joints. Screw threads or concrete footing can be used for the underground portion, depending on the soil type.

Wall panels are made of cross-laminated timber and different types of plywood, while flooring is made of engineered hardwood. Cladding options include stained cedar – in black, grey or natural – or composite panels in a copper hue.

Different options for the cladding can be selected

Units with kitchens are fitted with quartz countertops and premium cabinetry. Bathrooms have tiled shower walls and high-end fixtures. Other features include high-efficiency LEDs, a smart thermostat and an accompanying app to monitor electricity usage.

The home is designed to minimize energy consumption through features such as continuous insulation and air-tight windows and doors.

While designed to tie into public water and sewage systems, the Cosmic ADU is able to generate all of its own electricity.

The units come with pre-assembled systems for mechanical, engineering and plumbing, which includes a sizable battery pack for lithium-ion and thermal energy storage.

The unit is delivered on a flatbad and constructed on site

The units are also equipped with a rooftop solar array that can generate from seven to 20,000 kWh per year in the California region – much more than the ADU is expected to need.

The team envisions the extra energy being stored and then distributed to the main home on the ADU's property, or to an electric vehicle.

"The ADU is able to generate and store both electricity and thermal energy when it's most efficient and cheapest, and then distribute it into the household when it's needed," said Jokic.

Owners can purchase the solar array and battery pack or borrow them from Cosmic. In the latter scenario, Cosmic owns the excess energy generated by the ADU.

[

Read:

Precht creates four cartoonish "treehouses" for Austrian restaurant

](https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/03/precht-bert-treehouses-austria/)

Cosmic is presently housed at the Autodesk Technology Center in San Francisco, where it will produce the chassis modules for its first batch of homes. It also works with local material suppliers and manufacturers.

It currently takes four to six months to build and deliver a Cosmic ADU. The company is not releasing pricing at this time.

Cosmic's ultimate aim is to transform the building industry.

Different anchors are used depending on the ground

"Our homes are changing," the company said. "Climate warming and the global pandemic have reshaped our living environment, and we are not going back."

Other revolutionary building ideas include customized backyard dwellings by the design-build firm Cover that are created using computer algorithms, and "nomadic" hotel units by the startup Moliviing that are prefabricated and intended to be moved around.

The photography is byMilos Martinovic. Renderings are by Edit.

The post Cosmic ADU is a “self-powered home” that uses no fossil fuels appeared first on Dezeen.

#all #residential #architecture #green #modulararchitecture #prefabricatedbuildings #crosslaminatedtimber #accessorydwellingunits #sustainability #us

dezeen (unofficial)Apr 3, 2022

Precht creates four cartoonish treehouses for Austrian restaurant

Shingles and large round windows animate the four Bert treehouses that architecture studio Precht has crafted from bent cross-laminated timber in Austrian woodland.

The four cartoonish structures, which each have a unique form, serve as accommodation for guests and staff at the Steirereck am Pogusch restaurant in the rural village of Pogusch.

Precht has create a series of CLT treehouses in Austria. Photo is by Tom Klocker

They are the first four iterations of Bert, a modular treehouse conceptualised by Precht with tiny-homes startup BaumBau in 2019 with the intention of designing a building with a minimal footprint.

Each structure is assembled from prefabricated components that were made from cross-laminated timber (CLT) in a factory offsite before being combined in situ.

They contain accommodation for guests and staff at the Steirereck am Pogusch restaurant

Precht's co-founder, Chris Precht, recently presented the project as part of our Architecture Project Talk series in partnership with the Forest Stewardship Council.

During the event, the architect explained that Bert evolved out of an ambition to create a structure with a minimal environmental impact, but with otherworldly forms that look as though they belong in a fairytale.

They feature modular tube-like structures

"We looked at this project through the naive eyes of children, and asked ourselves, what would the building look like if it would be designed by this unfiltered imagination of a kid?" he explained.

"So building that almost comes out from a fairy tale," he continued. "But on the other hand, it also resulted in very serious questions, so how does a building that stands on a very minimal and small footprint look and work?"

The structures sit on small concrete footings

Hidden in woodland at the restaurant, each treehouse is positioned on a circular concrete base with the tube-shaped modular elements stacked above them.

These modular elements contain kitchens, living spaces, bedrooms and bathrooms and are made from bent CLT, cut using a CNC machine. They were quickly built on-site over a few days.

The big windows and balconies are intended to evoke cartoon eyes

"The first Bert took around seven days and the last Bert took around one day," Precht said.

"So, there was also a lot of learning by doing and experimenting in what is the fastest way actually to build Bert."

Precht hopes the treehouses look as though they belong in a fairytale. Photo is by Tom Klocker

The modular components that make up each treehouse derive a catalogue of possible elements and configurations for Bert that Precht and BaumBau developed in 2019.

These give rise to curved forms, engineered to balance on their small footings while withstanding strong winds. Precht explained that this closely resembles "a tree in the forest", suiting their woodland setting.

Shingles cover the exteriors

The four treehouses are unified by their large windows and wooden shingle-clad exteriors that are designed to weather and change colour over time.

Large round windows and balconies are intended to resemble the eyes of cartoon characters, such as those in Sesame Street or the little yellow Minions from the animated film series Despicable Me.

The interior fit-outs are also modular to align with the curved structures

Inside, the Bert treehouses are designed to feel dark and cosy, with the structural wood left visible.

"For the interior spaces, we wanted to keep it a bit darker, to have a contrast with the wood building that surrounds the interior," Precht explained.

[

Read:

Peter Pichler designs Tree House hotel rooms for forest in the Italian Dolomites

](https://www.dezeen.com/2019/03/06/peter-pichler-treehouses-italian-dolomites-architecture/)

All the interior furnishings, which are also modular, are adapted to the roundness of the structures. These are teamed with black textiles and illuminated indirect lighting that appears as though it is seeping through cracks in the building.

Precht added that beyond its "​​naive and childish intentions", the project is also hoped to highlight the importance of interacting with nature to its occupants.

Dark furnishes feature throughout

"Most people, especially in the future, will spend their entire lives in cities," Precht said.

"But if you going to a forest or to a mountain, you're surrounded by millions of years of evolution and I think as a person that changes your perspective. Suddenly, you are not the centre of the universe anymore, but just a very small part of, of a much larger story," Precht concluded.

The CLT structure is exposed inside

Precht is the co-founder of Austria-based studio Precht, which he founded with his wife Fei Precht. The studio also recently designed The Farmhouse, a housing concept that combines residences with vertical farms.

Elsewhere, Peter Pichler Architecture has designed a proposal for treehouses in a forest in the Dolomites of northern Italy featuring sharply pointed roofs and blackened wood cladding.

The video is by Imanuel Thalhammer and the photography is byChristian Flatscher unless stated.

The post Precht creates four cartoonish treehouses for Austrian restaurant appeared first on Dezeen.

#hotels #all #architecture #instagram #austria #modulararchitecture #treehouses #shingles #prefabricatedbuildings #woodenarchitecture #crosslaminatedtimber #precht