California mass timber building competition kicks off January 15

The California Mass Timber Building Competition, meant to spur innovative designs using mass timber, will begin accepting submissions on January 15.

The competition, hosted by GovOps and administered by WoodWorks – Wood Products Council, will award a total of $500,000 in grants. The funds will be distributed between two or more project teams that present viable and repeatable mass timber solutions for commercial or multi-family projects in California.

The grants will fund activities including cost studies, permitting fees, and information exchange sessions with code officials. The deadline for submissions is March 18, 2019.

“This competition is designed to inspire innovation and harness the enormous environmental and economic potential of mass timber in California,” said Jennifer Cover, WoodWorks president and chief executive officer, in a news release. “Mass timber can help California advance its climate change and green building objectives, and also has the potential to help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the state by creating a market incentive for forest thinning and other landscape restoration efforts.”