As sustainability and cost-efficiency continue to shape modern construction strategies, mass timber is emerging as a favored material in projects from California to the Midwest.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developers officially broke ground on The Edison, a 31-story residential tower that will be the tallest mass timber building in the United States once completed. Neutral Edison, the vertically integrated real estate firm behind the project, announced that the building is slated to open in 2027 and will house 353 residential units.

Beyond its height and material choice, The Edison will offer residents a suite of upscale amenities, including a wellness membership club, spa, sauna, organic grocery, fitness center, café, sky lounge, entertainment deck, community garden, dog park, demo kitchen, and more.

Neutral Edison has already secured $133.3 million in construction financing, and over 60% of the required equity has been raised. The developer is also targeting Passive House certification, aiming to cut operational carbon and energy usage by 45% compared to conventional high-rise residential towers.

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, California State University at Chico has completed a milestone project: the first mass timber building in the CSU system. The University Services Building, a two-story, 22,132-square-foot facility, was delivered by a Progressive Design-Build team led by Swinerton and Dreyfuss + Blackford Architects, with Timberlab supplying the sustainably sourced timber from Oregon and Montana forests.

Despite having no mandate for building materials, the university team ultimately chose mass timber due to its cost benefits. “So the clearest driver for this project was its cost,” said Jeffrey Good, Swinerton’s divisional manager, who worked alongside Matthew Beyer, Swinerton’s project executive.

The choice proved advantageous. The project went up “surprisingly quickly,” according to Beyer, thanks to flat site conditions, reduced need for concrete, and prefabricated timber components. However, construction was made more complex by its location in the middle of an active Operations yard filled with university supplies and vehicles.

Prefabrication played a pivotal role in accelerating the construction timeline while minimizing disruption. “This replacement building demonstrates how mass timber isn’t just for showpieces—it’s a practical, scalable solution for institutional spaces that care about performance, wellness, and long-term value,” said Lisa Podesto, Swinerton’s Director of Preconstruction – Mass Timber.

The Chico facility now serves as a model for additional CSU construction. Swinerton is applying lessons from the project to a $132 million, 74,000-square-foot Engineering & Technology building at Cal Poly Humboldt, scheduled to open in Fall 2026.

Mass timber’s rise is no longer theoretical. Beyer noted that his first project using the material was more than 15 years ago, but interest has grown significantly. Good added, “There’s more mainstream interest in using mass timber, and a much higher capacity for domestic production than five years ago, with bigger investments in factories.” He concluded, “The construction industry is catching up with the mass timber industry,” especially as attention to sustainability and carbon emissions intensifies.

These projects in California and Wisconsin mark a significant shift in both public and private sectors, embracing mass timber not only for its aesthetics and environmental benefits but also as a cost-effective and scalable solution for today’s building needs.

Originally reported by John Caulfield in BDC Network.