The "Tall Timber: The Future of Cities in Wood" exhibition at The Skyscraper Museum in New York City explores Mass Timber's role in sustainable urban development, positioning it as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional materials like concrete and steel. It highlights wood's renewability and the technological advancements in Mass Timber, emphasizing its suitability for high-rise construction and the pursuit of a low-carbon urban future. The exhibition stresses the importance of responsible forest management and the precision of modern construction techniques. Within this narrative, LEVER's Framework project is presented, illustrating its significant impact on advancing Mass Timber technology and architectural innovation.
Framework, supported by the USDA and the Softwood Lumber Board, focused on the development, testing, and design of mass timber construction, with a significant aspect being the open-source sharing of its research. This approach contributed to securing funding as part of the US Tall Wood Building Prize. In 2017, the outcomes of this research were disseminated through articles and papers by various key partners, aiming to influence the broader field of mass timber construction.
The documented strategies and data from the Framework project have since informed the development of new building projects and contributed to significant changes in building codes, including the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) and the State of Oregon’s Appendix P Tall Wood Buildings Provision. This body of work has provided a foundation for upcoming mass timber projects by LEVER and other firms, demonstrating the tangible impact of the Framework project on advancing mass timber construction practices and regulatory standards.