2017 Best of Design Award for New Materials: Indiana Hardwood Cross-Laminated Timber Project
Designer: IKD
Location: Columbus, Indiana
The Indiana hardwood cross-laminated timber (HCLT) project is the first commercial pressing of HCLT and the first use of HCLT in a built project in the United States. IKD aspires to create a new timber product by upcycling low-value hardwood sawn logs that are extracted from Indiana forests. Indiana’s largest cash crop is hardwood, but over 55 percent of each log processed is of low value. The firm set out to demonstrate how low-value hardwood can be used to create high-value HCLT, which can then be used as the primary structure for buildings. This process has the potential to initiate a cascade of effects: positive job growth in rural forestry and manufacturing, hardwood lumber market expansion, forest land value increase, and improved forest management practices. HCLT offers numerous benefits over softwood, including superior mechanical properties, material volume savings, and increased fire resistance.
“The use of hardwood in mass timber is appealing on many levels. Its added strength and durability over softwoods makes it ideal for exterior applications.” —Nathaniel Stanton, principal, Craft Engineer Studio (juror)
CLT Fabricator:
Smartlam
Timber Engineers:
Bensonwood
General Contractor:
Taylor Brothers Construction
Hardwood Material Supplier:
Koetter Woodworking
Grant Funding:
United State Forest Service Wood Innovation Grant
