
Mass Timber
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.
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:
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Teaming with the Colorado School of Mines for projects in mass timber cost optimization and seismic design
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Participating in a Colorado State University led project to develop multi-family housing technologies
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Working with WoodWorks to develop mass timber connection guidelines for designers
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Participating on the Mass Timber Committee of the Timber Framers Engineering Council (TFEC).
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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.
To schedule an AIA accredited presentation in your office, contact us at kclark@klaa.com.
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
1994
2000
2007
2008
2014
UNPRECEDENTED 3D TIMBER SPACE FRAME
Shigeru Ban Architects
Turner Construction Company
2020
2020
DENVER'S FIRST MASS TIMBER SHEAR WALLS
DU BURWELL CENTER FOR CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
Lake Flato
PCL Construction