“Instead of hauling and getting mass timber from Canada, why can’t we start a processing facility in Michigan?” said Raju Pokharel, an assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Forestry who is studying ways Michigan can capitalize on its vast number of forests. “Michigan has wood, but it’s struggling to sell and use it optimally.”
“Mass timber” refers to a variety of engineered wood products comprising dimensional lumber layered together to form panels, columns and beams. Sandra Lupien is the project manager for this study. She’s the director of MassTimber@MSU, a program that advances mass timber construction and production in Michigan through outreach, communications, research, education, policy and partnerships.
There are no approved or planned projects for a mass timber production facility in Michigan yet. Lupien said the goal of the supply-and-demand analyses is to provide prospective manufacturers with the insights they need to scope a mass timber facility in the state.
“Developers like the biophilic benefits of mass timber. Biophilia is the idea that there are benefits to bringing nature indoors. Research has found that when we have materials like exposed wood in buildings, the occupants of those buildings report qualities like better mental health, a sense of well-being and greater productivity.” – Sandra Lupien, Director of MassTimber@MSU
MSU’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility
To see the future of how buildings are constructed in both Michigan and the U.S., you don’t have to travel far from Michigan State University. In fact, visit its campus and check out the newly built STEM Teaching and Learning Facility.
Opened in 2021 on the corner of North Shaw Lane and Red Cedar Road next to Spartan Stadium, the building was Michigan’s first mass timber building. Mass timber buildings can go up quickly and efficiently, and with a lower carbon footprint, the material offers a sustainable alternative to steel and concrete.
