Hello Mass Timber Community,
Happy Summer! I hope you’re enjoying your favorite activities, even as you continue to advance your mass timber projects and initiatives. Read on for important updates, news about what’s been keeping us busy, and how MassTimber@MSU supports your mass timber success. As always, please contact me if there’s anything we can do to help!
Sandra Lupien
Director, MassTimber@MSU
lupiensa@msu.edu
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Amended Law Eases Path for Mass Timber Schools in Michigan | |
If you’re designing a mass timber school in Michigan, the approvals process has recently become more straightforward. The State has updated an old statute—Act 306 of 1937—that some building code officials had interpreted as in conflict with the Michigan Building Code (MBC) when it comes to mass timber in schools. | |
Mass Timber in Your RFP? Send it Our Way! | |
If you’re issuing a request for proposals or qualifications for a mass timber project in Michigan, we’re happy to amplify it on our MassTimber@MSU social media channels to help you reach more mass timber-experienced-or-interested project partners. Just email it to Sandra at lupiensa@msu.edu with information about the submission deadline and a brief description of the project and—time allowing—we’ll work it into our social media calendar. | |
Attending the Michigan Forest Products Show? Stop by our Booth! | |
We’re looking forward to exhibiting for the first time at the Michigan Forest Products Show on August 9 & 10 in Gaylord. MassTimber@MSU will share a booth with key partner, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Office of Public Land (OPL). If you’ll be at this great show—hosted by the Michigan Association of Timbermen, please stop by with your mass timber questions—or just to say hi—to Sandra Lupien and Patrick Mohney of OPL.
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Lupien, Clark, and Crook Share Mass Timber Insights at 2024 Michigan APPA Conference | |
Sandra Lupien presented on Michigan’s mass timber momentum and opportunity at the 2024 Michigan APPA—Leadership in Educational Facilities conference in Harbor Springs. She spoke alongside MassTimber@MSU collaborators, Traci Brower of Clark Construction Company, and Michelle Crook of Michigan DNR, offering valuable insights into the benefits of mass timber. We're excited to see professionals inspired to consider CLT, glulam, and other timber materials for their upcoming projects. | |
MassTimber@MSU Fosters Collaboration in Finland | |
Michigan Delegation Joins Wood Building Construction Trade and Study Mission
First stop: Sandra Lupien coordinated a Michigan delegation to participate in a forestry and wood building construction trade and study mission hosted by Business Finland. The mission is part of an ongoing forest products collaboration under a memorandum of understanding between the State of Michigan and the government of Finland, which has similar agreements with multiple U.S. states (nine states and one Canadian province were represented on the trip). Participants in the wood building construction tour visited multiple manufacturing, forestry, and building sites in central and southern Finland The Michigan delegation comprised Tori Irving of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR); Paul Irving of Renewable Resource Solutions; Lisa Sauve and Adam Smith (back) of SYNECDOCHE, Kathy Velikov of Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning, University of Michigan; Jill Ramirez of Three Squared, Inc.; Scott Whitcomb also DNR Office of Public Lands; Sandra Lupien at MSU, Geoffrey Thun also U of M Taubman; and Matt Hollander of Hollander Development. In addition, Sandra led a workshop in Helsinki titled, “Policy, Outreach, and Stakeholder Engagement to Advance Mass Timber Ecosystems.” Workshop participants identified several opportunities for future collaboration on these topics.
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MSU Forestry Visits University of Eastern Finland
Next stop: After the Business Finland trip, Sandra joined MassTimber@MSU’s George Berghorn, and Raju Pokharel, along with Forestry Department Chair Rich Kobe and faculty Sam Gailey to visit collaborators at the University of Eastern Finland and the Natural Resources Institute Finland / Luonnonvarakeskus in the City of Joensuu. In workshops, on forest hikes, over meals, and at a Midsummer's Eve celebration, they got to know their colleagues, learned about their work and their culture, and explored opportunities to collaborate on mass timber, forestry, and other areas of research and education. Thanks to the tremendous host team, led by Jukka Tkkanen and Satu Helenius.
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MassTimber@MSU Hosts Workshop for Faculty Members Across the U.S. | |
The Advancing Faculty Skills in Mass Timber Construction Workshop, led by MassTimber@MSU’s George Berghorn and Sandra Lupien and sponsored by the Softwood Lumber Board and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, offered hands-on training and guidance for construction management and construction engineering faculty from 18 states across the U.S. on incorporating mass timber topics into their teaching.
The three-day workshop kicked off with introductions and presentations by Brandon Brooks of WoodWorks, Todd Hamilton of Simpson Strong-Tie, Bill Broderick of Rothoblaas, Jerry Carlisle & Jason Ruffes of Michigan Statewide Carpenters and Millwrights, and Tym of Kinsol USA, and a tour of the Michigan State University STEM Teaching & Learning Facility, the cross-laminated timber and glulam building on our campus. In the afternoon, participants split into teams to start assembling mass timber mock-ups supplied by Rothoblaas.
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On the second day, participants enjoyed two timber construction site tours, with the first visit to the Jeanne M. Stine Community Park Pavilion in Troy. Faculty participants explored the park's mass timber pavilion and admired the striking exposed CLT canopy. Pictured next to MassTimber@MSU's George Berghorn is Matt Baglio, an MSU Construction Management alum (2021) who works for Gleeson Construction Inc. and served as the site superintendent for the Troy project. He stopped by to speak with faculty about the project's development. | |
Next, the group headed to the JST Corporation timber project in Farmington Hills. Spanning over 10 acres, this project will house six timber buildings, some featuring mass timber like glulam and CLT. It has the largest geothermal energy field in Southeast Michigan, making the campus carbon-neutral and powered by renewable resources. Cool features include an animal road for native species and buildings designed to preserve the natural topography and forest ecosystems. Check out some of the amazing architecture below. | |
On the final day, faculty participants completed their mass timber mockups, with Tym from Kinsol naming one very efficient group “Most Hirable Team”. Participants heard presentations by Michaela Harms from Sterling Structural, who shared insights on mass timber manufacturing, and another by Lupien and Berghorn, who discussed mass timber and sustainability. The day concluded with super-inspiring lightning presentations by each participant on how they intend to use what they learned to incorporate mass timber into their curriculum. | |
The workshop offered an invaluable opportunity to meet these faculty from across the country and to share knowledge and ideas that will advance mass timber education at all of our institutions. We hope to host a similar workshop in the future! | |
MassTimber@MSU Co-hosts WoodWorks Seminar and Site Tour of MSU STEM Facility | |
Sandra Lupien and George Berghorn co-hosted a recent in-person WoodWorks mass timber seminar and site tour of the STEM Facility. More than 70 people attended the seminar, titled “Designing and Building with Mass Timber.” Thanks to our frequent collaborator Anthony Harvey, Regional Director at WoodWorks, for sharing his knowledge and conducting the mass timber training portion of the workshop. | |
MassTimber@MSU is a collaboration among the Michigan State University Department of Forestry; Extension; and the School of Planning Design and Construction, all housed within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Supported by funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. | | | | |