With this information in mind, the WoodWorks Wood Products Council recently sparked a competition offering designers and architects an opportunity to present their best mass timber projects. With $500,000 on the line, four projects ended up receiving funding, while two others were acknowledged through honorable mentions.
“Increased use of mass timber can benefit forest health and rural economic development while reducing carbon emissions related to construction in California,” says Jennifer Cover, president and CEO of WoodWorks. “The winning projects further highlight the design possibilities of timber and encourage wider adoption of its use throughout the state and across the country.”
The California College of the Arts Campus Unification Project in San Francisco, presented by Studio Gang Architects, received $200,000 for their campus expansion plan that fit neatly with the larger project goals for remaining carbon neutral.
The fourth award went to the Sunnydale Development Company, who was awarded $40,000 for a community center within San Francisco’s Sunnydale and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods. The space will provide family programs and recreation services for youth in an area known for being economically distressed in recent years.

An honorable mention went to the Tahoe Regional Arts Foundation’s 75,000-square-foot freeform mass timber building, with a design set in the forest and intended for indoor and outdoor performances, e...