At KL&A, we have identified a group of individuals know as “Team Mass Timber” who are actively engaged in design and innovation with mass timber structures. The Team includes about fifteen people from all levels of the firm, from CEO to project engineers.

Members of Team Mass Timber will be assigned to ensure your mass timber project benefits from the deep expertise we have earned.

INDUSTRY EXPERTS

15

MASS TIMBER

TEAM MEMBERS

25+

MASS TIMBER

PROJECTS COMPLETED

150 YEARS

COMBINED MASS TIMBER EXPERIENCE

For over 26 years, starting with our very first project, heavy timber has been part of our DNA. Our experience is unmatched as we lead the adoption and use of this material and construction type locally, regionally and beyond. 

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Since the early 2000s, KL&A has seen mass timber as a key component of design strategies to minimize embodied carbon and reduce construction time while delivering architecturally stunning buildings. We have accordingly organized our practice to be the premier structural designer of mass timber in the Rocky Mountain Region. 

KL&A BRINGS tall wood TO Denver

In 2019, KL&A, working with the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado, spearheaded the early adoption of the 2021 IBC Tall Wood provisions, the first jurisdiction outside the Pacific Northwest to do so. This means that Denver is among the first cities in the nation that can build code-compliant wood buildings as tall as 18 stories. See Appendix U in the Denver Amendments.

research and development

It is KL&A’s position that involvement on the front edge of research and development keeps technical skills sharp and an innovative spirit strong. Team Mass Timber is currently engaged with multiple research and development activities. Some of those include:

• Teaming with the Colorado School of Mines for projects in mass timber cost optimization and seismic design

• Participating in a Colorado State University led project to develop multi-family housing technologies

• Working with WoodWorks to develop mass timber connection guidelines for designers

• Participating on the Mass Timber Committee of the Timber Framers Engineering Council (TFEC).

• Participating in USDA mass timber research needs workshops.

Outreach & Education

KL&A is actively engaged in spreading mass timber know-how to the broader design, construction, and academic communities, including dozens of presentations in  many settings from University classrooms to the offices of architects and contractors, to national and international conferences and symposiums, to WoodWorks webinars.  We can bring the same education directly to your organization, including AIA Health and Welfare professional development units as a certified AIA provider.

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To schedule an AIA accredited presentation in your office, contact us at kclark@klaa.com. 

Greg Kingsley and Erin Kinder were the authors of a Mass Timber Connections Index for WoodWorks, a compilation of connections used in mass timber construction. The also were the authors of a companion piece: Mass Timber Connection Index: Optimal Connection Considerations. Both of these works can be found here: 

WoodWorks Index of Mass Timber Connections

Mass Timber Connections Index: Optimal Connection Considerations

KL&A is a proud member of the Woodworks Innovation Network, comprised of design and construction professionals who have worked with innovative wood technologies such as mass timber.

mass timber timeline