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Over the past couple of decades, the construction industry in America has begun incorporating a structural material that is both old and new: mass timber. As this building technology has proliferated, New Energy Works has evolved alongside it and incorporated mass timber into our work. We’re obviously huge fans of building with wood for a wide variety of reasons. Now with mass timber, there are more possibilities than ever. Here’s what it is, why it matters, and why so many architects and developers are embracing it.

What Is Mass Timber?

Mass timber refers to a category of engineered wood products made by bonding layers of wood together to create large, solid structural panels, beams, and columns. Unlike traditional “stick framing,” which uses small pieces of lumber assembled on-site, mass timber components are manufactured in a controlled environment and delivered ready to install.

Common mass timber products include:

• Glue-Laminated Timber (Glulam) – Beams or columns formed by gluing together layers of lumber with the grain aligned in the same direction. Glulam members can be straight or curved.
• Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) – Large panels made by layering boards in alternating directions and bonding them with structural adhesives.
• Nail-Laminated Timber (NLT) and Dowel-Laminated Timber (DLT) – Panels assembled using nails or hardwood dowels instead of adhesives.
• Mass Ply Panels (MPP) – Similar in concept to common plywood, these panels are built out of many layers of wood veneer and adhesive.

These products create structural elements that rival steel and concrete in strength and stability, while offering unique architectural and environmental advantages.

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“I love structure that is gorgeous, and the timber work on this project is form and function at its best,” says Kevin Beland of Wood and Clay Fine Homes.

There are three buildings located on the expansive New Hampshire compound where two new timber frame structures will be raised. The property includes the client’s main home, a new garage, and a new timber frame party barn. While the client’s main living quarters is getting an update from Wood and Clay, the two new structures are being raised to complete a master plan that mimics the existing aesthetic detailing found around the property.

“The idea is that all of the structures are going to speak to each other. We try to have things have logic to them,” says Beland. “The garage sits between the main house and the party barn. The garage and barn are brand-new buildings and we’re giving the main house a facelift to bring it together with the other structures. 

Shannon Robinson-Beland, co-owner of Wood and Clay, adds, “The party barn is going to be a family space for entertaining. There will be a ping-pong table, a lounge area, and a bar. Just like the name says, it’s a party barn! Adjacent to that structure there is a garage where there will be a few of the client’s favorite cars on display and an additional gym space. The garage space is more functional but still has a high level of finish both in terms of the timbers, the butternut siding on the walls and stained wood details on the ceiling.”