In January, the SLB sponsored the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) Forum in Denver—the largest annual gathering of architecture students in the United States. The event convened 350 students representing 55 schools from across the country.

A highlight was a hands-on mass timber workshop that moved wood beyond drawings and theory. Students worked directly with structural components, power tools, and fasteners, assembling elements themselves and gaining a practical understanding of product types and connection systems. The experience provided tangible insight into how mass timber systems come together in real buildings.

Students also toured T3 RiNo, one of the latest completed projects in developer Hines’ T3: Timber, Transit, Technology series of commercial mass timber buildings, which includes 23 projects completed, in design, or under construction. Walking through the completed Class A office building demonstrated the scale, structural performance, and architectural quality achievable with lumber in a competitive commercial setting.

By grounding wood design education in direct experience and built examples, the SLB is helping ensure future architects see mass timber not as aspirational, but as a viable and competitive solution for nonresidential construction.

MARKET IMPACT

• Give students a comprehensive view of the mass timber project lifecycle.

• Inspire students to discover professional pathways toward delivering wood buildings.