Materials
Materials & Systems
Heavy timber and mass timber, wood over podium, structural steel, cold-formed steel framing, and masonry. The right system depends on the building — I'll walk you through the trade-offs.
Heavy Timber and Mass Timber
CLT panels, glulam beams, and exposed heavy timber framing — the Pacific Northwest's material of choice for a reason. Timber is fast to erect, structurally efficient for long spans, and the exposed-structure aesthetic is an architectural argument, not a compromise. Mass timber also has a compelling carbon story: sequestered carbon over the building's life, and a manufacturing process that is materially less energy-intensive than concrete or steel.
I design in heavy timber and mass timber for commercial, mixed-use, and residential projects. Connections, fire-resistive design, diaphragm detailing, and coordination with the mass timber supplier's shop drawing package are part of the scope.
Wood-Frame over Concrete Podium
The workhorse of Portland mid-rise multifamily. Wood Type V residential framing over a concrete or post-tensioned podium — four or five stories of wood over one or two stories of concrete — is the cost-effective, schedule-efficient solution for projects in the 40–65 foot height range. The lateral system in the wood portion typically uses wood structural panel shear walls; the podium provides the base for the lateral transfer.
Saltwood North & South and Raleigh 22 are examples of this system. I know the details, the tolerances, and the coordination challenges — and I've designed them from foundation to parapet.
Structural Steel
For long spans, heavy loads, and situations where wood or concrete don't reach. Industrial mezzanines, transfer beams at podium levels, long-span roof framing, and commercial structures where the geometry demands more than a wood or light-gauge system can deliver. AISC 360 design, connection design, and coordination with the steel fabricator's shop drawings.
Steel is also the right call for structures with large openings, significant equipment loads, or where the architectural geometry can't be rationalized into a regular framing grid.
Light-Gauge Cold-Formed Steel Framing (CFS)
Non-combustible mid-rise walls and floors, prefabricated panel systems, and loadbearing CFS applications where wood's combustibility or moisture sensitivity is a problem. AISI S100 (specification for cold-formed steel structural members) and S240 (for structural framing in buildings) govern the design. CFS is common in hotel and multifamily construction where Type III-A or Type I non-combustible framing is required, and where prefabricated panel systems offer schedule advantages.
I have deep familiarity with manufacturer-specific structural sheathing panel systems — Sure-Board and similar structural sheathed CFS assemblies — including their lateral design values, connection details, and coordination with the panel supplier. This matters in practice: the structural design has to work with what's buildable and what the panel supplier can actually produce.
Masonry Including Brick Veneer
CMU bearing and shear walls for buildings where masonry is the right gravity and lateral system — warehouses, schools, commercial construction in regions where masonry is common. Reinforced CMU design to ACI 530/TMS 402.
Brick veneer is a detail problem as much as a structural one. Anchorage to the backup structure, shelf angle design and placement, movement joint spacing and detailing, lintel design over openings — these are common Portland details and common sources of building envelope failures when they're done wrong. I've done enough of them to know where the problems are.
Choosing a System
The right structural system depends on building height and occupancy, fire and acoustic requirements, schedule and budget, site constraints, seismic design category, and architectural intent. There is no universally correct answer — and the decision made in schematic design has consequences that run through construction and beyond.
| System | Best for | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy / mass timber | Commercial, mixed-use, mid-rise residential; exposed-structure design intent; carbon story | Supplier lead times; connection detailing requires coordination; fire-resistive design adds complexity |
| Wood over podium | 4–5 story multifamily; cost and schedule efficiency; Portland Type V over podium standard | Height limits (Type V); lateral transfer at podium interface; shrinkage management |
| Structural steel | Long spans; heavy equipment loads; industrial; transfer conditions; architectural geometry | Cost premium over wood/CFS; fabrication and delivery lead times |
| Cold-formed steel (CFS) | Non-combustible mid-rise; hotel/multifamily Type I or III-A; prefab panel systems | Deflection limits; floor vibration; coordination with panel supplier shop drawings |
| Masonry (CMU) | Warehouses, schools; lower-rise commercial; where masonry is durable and cost-effective | Labor cost; limited architectural flexibility; movement joints required |
I'll walk you through the trade-offs for your specific project — height, use, budget, site, seismic category, and architectural intent all factor in. The table above is a starting point, not a decision rule.
Talk Through Your Project
Not sure which structural system makes sense for your building? Let's talk through the constraints and trade-offs before you commit to a direction.
Talk Through Your Project