Accelerating Mass Timber Adoption in Greater Boston, Massachusetts: A Practical Study for Local Real Estate Developers

Abstract

Today’s real estate development strategy must incorporate decarbonization to mitigate the built environment’s detrimental impact on climate change. Beyond required climate action, developments are increasingly seen as responsible for improving occupant health and wellbeing. Furthermore, industry stakeholders are tasked with efficiently delivering sustainable, high quality, and affordable housing in dense, urban areas to meet a growing demand. As the stakes intensify and demands of real estate development increase, projects face multiple barriers to implementation. This thesis explores mass timber construction as a viable solution to modern development challenges. While research content derives from multiple geographies within North America, a particular focus on the relevance and utility for Greater Boston, MA, USA is maintained. The thesis comprises five chapters. Following an introduction, the second chapter provides an overview of mass timber as an evolving building technology with an emphasis on how and why it is gaining momentum as a viable and preferred alternative to traditional building materials. The section conversely discusses commonly cited drawbacks delaying industry acceptance. The third chapter explores mass timber adoption at multiple scales, including studies of innovative projects proving achievement of development objectives despite challenges. Guided by insights from interviews, this chapter discusses stakeholders’ current understanding of the material and motivations for its use, perceived feasibility constraints as well as believed opportunities for its incorporation and proliferation, with a focus on Greater Boston. The fourth chapter considers methods to accelerate the rate of mass timber adoption, including facilitation of local development strategy. The section builds on research and interview findings to establish key considerations when evaluating a mass timber project and to propose an analytical framework for real estate developers to holistically assess the value of incorporating the material in their projects. The concluding chapter speculates the local arc of adoption and subsequent impacts of widespread mass timber project implementation for the city and region.