DCI Engineers hosted a special panel, “Making Mass Timber Pencil" in Philadelphia

DCI+MacINTOSH Engineers, which merged with DCI in February 2022, along with representatives from KSS Architects, Gilbane Building Company, Lake|Flato Architects and DCI, hosted a special panel, “Making Mass Timber Pencil: From College Campuses to High-Rise Towers” at the Center for Architecture & Design in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, March 7. 

The day before the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Mid-Atlantic Conference kicked off in Philadelphia, the panel discussed this innovative, sustainable material that's gaining momentum across the country. They fielded questions from the audience—with attendees ranging from university decision makers and developers to designers, contractors, suppliers and cost estimators—focusing much of the conversation on the mass timber process: how best to engage the team, getting accurate comparative pricing and the importance of owner buy-in for engaging subcontractors early on. 

“I was impressed by the wide array of attendees, which equates to the thirst for knowledge about mass timber in general,” noted panelist Ethan Martin, DCI's Director of Sustainability & Mass Timber.

Other topics included WHO is building with mass timber, WHY mass timber is a choice material, HOW mass timber is being done cost-effectively, WHAT building officials think of the mass timber code and WILL mass timber be here to stay, with a resounding answer to the last topic being YES.

To learn more about DCI's mass timber services, visit https://www.dci-engineers.com/markets/mass-timber or contact Ethan Martin, PE, Associate Principal: [email protected]