What if the most beautiful architecture in North America - those iconic towers lining Manhattan, the stately facades of Washington D.C., the storied blocks of Chicago and San Francisco - became relics of a vanished era, their interiors dark and empty?

“There’s a hollowing out,” Douglas Hayden observes, naming these four cities the “four horsemen of the office apocalypse.” The question is no longer whether these buildings will fill up again, but what entirely new purpose they might serve in a post-office world.

This is not a slow-moving crisis; it’s an inflection point. For those willing to rethink the DNA of urban real estate, the glut of vacant office space is less a problem than an opening. The challenge: how to transform these stranded assets into vibrant, revenue-generating environments that meet the evolving demands of city life. The answer, as Hayden and his team at Arthroto see it, lies in a radical convergence of adaptive reuse, prefabrication, and mass timber - an approach that promises not just speed and efficiency, but a reimagining of what urban buildings can be.

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The Four Horsemen of the Office Apocalypse

A single metric - office occupancy - now dictates the fate of entire downtowns. In cities like New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco, the collapse of in-person work has left once-bustling office towers eerily vacant. Doug Hayden, founder of Arthroto Industries Inc., labels these cities the “four horsemen of the office apocalypse,” underscoring the scale of the crisis.

What is going to happen? How do you revitalize these cities, especially with all these empty office buildings? Hayden asks, framing the urgent dilemma facing urban planners and developers. The challenge extends beyond simply filling space; it demands a fundamental rethinking of how these buildings serve the city in a post-pandemic era.

Adaptive reuse emerges as a pragmatic response. By converting obsolete office stock into residential and hospitality uses, developers can address both urban decline and the persistent demand for quality city living. This strategy leverages financial incentives while offering a path to reinvigorate downtown cores.

Seizing Opportunity: The Birth of Arthroto

A municipal incentive in Calgary catalyzed a new approach to urban renewal. Doug Hayden founded Arthroto to systematically transform vacant office buildings into mixed-use residential and hospitality assets - a move that reframes urban decay as a resource.

Calgary’s program set a clear precedent: they would give anybody that owned an office building $75 a square foot for every square foot converted into residential or a hotel. This direct financial support has drawn developers to the table, and Arthroto is structured to maximize the impact of such incentives.

Arthroto’s model is not simply about occupancy; it’s about urban reinvention. By acquiring distressed properties and converting them into vibrant, service-rich environments, the company addresses both housing shortages and the need for dynamic city centers. This approach lays the groundwork for a new urban typology, where former office towers become engines of community life.

The company’s focus on adaptive reuse sets the stage for a deeper transformation in construction methodology - one that prioritizes speed, quality, and sustainability.

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Prefab Revolution Advantages

Few construction strategies deliver both speed and quality, but Arthroto’s adoption of prefabricated interiors and building systems achieves measurable gains on both fronts. By eliminating drywall and standardizing components, the company has reduced new build times by up to 70 percent.

When you’re doing an office interior prefab, the real advantage is you get a better product faster, Hayden explains. This acceleration translates directly into earlier occupancy and improved project economics.

Prefabrication’s impact extends to lifecycle performance. Streamlined assembly not only expedites delivery but also results in interiors that are easier to maintain, adapt, and upgrade. Arthroto’s process challenges entrenched construction norms, offering a replicable model for efficiency and quality in urban redevelopment.

This shift in construction practice dovetails with a parallel evolution in structural materials - one that further amplifies the benefits of adaptive reuse.

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Mass Timber: Structural Lightness and Sustainability

A single material choice can unlock new possibilities for aging office towers. Arthroto’s integration of mass timber introduces a lightweight, renewable alternative to steel and concrete, enabling vertical expansion without extensive retrofitting.

Mass timber is a lighter structure, notes Mitchell Brooks, director of design at Arthroto. This property allows for additional floors atop existing buildings, sidestepping the prohibitive costs of reinforcing legacy structures.

The environmental implications are equally significant. Mass timber construction reduces embodied carbon and supports a lower-impact building lifecycle. As regulatory and market pressures mount for sustainable solutions, Arthroto’s use of mass timber positions its projects at the intersection of innovation and responsibility.

Yet, the adoption of new materials and methods is rarely frictionless - especially in an industry governed by tradition and regulation.

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Overcoming Industry Resistance

Every innovation in construction collides with a thicket of codes, conventions, and skepticism. There are over 20,000 building codes across North America, Hayden observes, highlighting the regulatory complexity that can stall progress.

The inertia of established practice remains a barrier. Developers and contractors often hesitate to embrace prefabrication or mass timber, citing unfamiliarity and perceived risk. Financing structures and union requirements add further layers of complexity, particularly in established markets.

Arthroto’s strategy is to demonstrate, not just advocate. By delivering successful projects that showcase the tangible benefits of new methods, the company aims to shift industry perceptions and create a template for broader adoption.

This pragmatic approach to innovation is mirrored in Arthroto’s market focus, where hospitality and senior living offer both demand and opportunity for differentiation.

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The Hospitality Experience

A shift in urban demand has made experience-driven hospitality a key lever for revitalization. Arthroto’s emphasis on transforming obsolete office buildings into hotels and senior living facilities responds directly to this trend.

People still want to travel. People are still wanting to get out and see the world, Brooks notes, pointing to the resilience of the hospitality sector. This persistent demand creates an opening for developers to deliver environments that blend service, comfort, and urban connectivity.

Arthroto’s developments prioritize the guest experience as a core value proposition. By partnering with leading amenities providers and focusing on design quality, the company ensures that its projects offer more than just accommodation - they deliver a sense of place and community. In a competitive market, this attention to experiential detail is a decisive advantage.

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Expanding the Vision

The momentum behind adaptive reuse and sustainable construction is not confined to a single market. Arthroto is actively pursuing projects in cities such as Nashville and Memphis, aiming to replicate and refine its model at scale.

We think there’s a real shortage of quality experiential places to stay, Hayden asserts, underscoring the persistent gap in urban hospitality offerings. As demographic and economic shifts reshape cities, the demand for flexible, sustainable, and service-oriented spaces will only intensify.

Arthroto’s synthesis of adaptive reuse, prefabrication, and mass timber construction signals a new direction for urban development. By aligning financial, environmental, and experiential priorities, the company is not only addressing the immediate crisis of office vacancy but also establishing a framework for resilient, adaptable cities.

The trajectory of Arthroto’s work suggests that the future of urban revitalization will be defined less by grand gestures and more by the cumulative impact of technical rigor, material innovation, and strategic collaboration. In this landscape, the most durable transformations will be those that reconcile the demands of the present with the possibilities of the built environment’s next chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Calgary’s municipal incentive program influence Arthroto’s approach to office-to-residential conversions?  Calgary’s program offered $75 per square foot for office space converted to residential or hotel use, directly motivating Arthroto to structure its business model around maximizing the impact of such financial incentives.

What measurable benefits did Arthroto achieve by using prefabricated interiors in their adaptive reuse projects?  By standardizing components and eliminating drywall, Arthroto accelerated build times, enabling earlier occupancy and improved project economics.

Why did Arthroto choose mass timber for structural interventions in aging office towers? Mass timber’s lighter weight enables vertical expansion without major retrofitting, while also reducing embodied carbon and supporting a more sustainable building lifecycle.

What were the main obstacles Arthroto encountered when implementing prefabrication and mass timber construction?  Arthroto faced a complex regulatory environment with thousands of building codes, as well as industry resistance due to unfamiliarity, perceived risk, and challenges related to financing and union requirements.

Why does Arthroto focus on hospitality and senior living in its adaptive reuse projects?  Ongoing demand for experience-driven hospitality and senior living presents an opportunity to create service-rich environments that help revitalize downtowns and distinguish Arthroto’s developments in the market.

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If the future of cities could be measured not by their skylines, but by the health and connection of their residents, how differently might we build? In a market saturated with sprawling developments and underused amenities, the prevailing logic has long been: more units, more of the same. But what if the real innovation lies in subtraction—paring back the superfluous and reimagining the core of community itself?

Nate Helbach’s approach is as much a critique as it is a blueprint.

“One thing I think is just dumb is all these developers that are building 5,000 units, but for every 100 units they have a 300-foot little small fitness center. It’s not useful. It’s a waste of space and tenants never actually use it.”

Instead, Helbach and his team at Neutral are betting on a new model: efficient, beautifully designed buildings with minimal in-unit amenities, anchored by a single, amenity-rich hub that prioritizes health, well-being, and genuine community. The Edison in Milwaukee, set to become the world's tallest mass timber building, is their first large-scale test of this vision—a project that asks not just how we build, but for whom.

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Doing Development Better: The Vision Behind Neutral

Few developers are willing to challenge the entrenched patterns of urban multifamily housing, but Nate Helbach, founder and CEO of Neutral, is doing just that. His approach to mass timber development is rooted in a conviction that urban environments can be both sustainable and deeply connected to resident well-being—not simply collections of units with perfunctory amenities.

“We’re trying to create really efficient low-rise buildings that have beautifully designed units but really no amenities and then a large building that has a ton of amenities,” Helbach explains. Rather than replicating underused amenities in every building, Neutral’s model—exemplified by the Edison in Milwaukee—centralizes resources to foster genuine community and optimize space. This shift challenges the prevailing logic of maximizing unit count at the expense of livability.

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The Edison: Rethinking the Urban Amenity Model

A project poised to become the tallest mass timber building in the world signals more than a technical milestone—it marks a reconfiguration of how urban residents interact with their built environment. The Edison’s design centers on a primary hub packed with amenities—fitness, wellness, and social spaces—while surrounding low-rise buildings focus on efficient, high-quality residences.

“It’s really our first big catalyst project into this idea of having one main large hub and then having a lot of smaller buildings in the same market,” Helbach notes.

By consolidating amenities, Neutral reduces redundancy and encourages residents to engage with shared spaces, countering the isolation often found in conventional developments. This model leverages mass timber’s flexibility to create a network of buildings that function as a cohesive community.

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Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions: Lessons from Edison

The promise of mass timber construction is often tested by the realities of global supply chains. When a fire on a shipping vessel threatened to derail a project’s timeline, Neutral’s reliance on prefabrication and modularity proved decisive. “Fortunately, due to some of the prefabrication and modularity of mass timber, we’re going to be getting our third and fourth shipment ahead of time,” Helbach shares. The modularity of the project allowed the materials to be swapped between floors, keeping the project on schedule, rather than being held up.

This underscores a broader topic: Large scale developers in North America’s dependence on European mass timber manufacturers. Why? It simply comes down to cost. Nate emphasis that the European producers are just more competitively priced. But, with such a long journey - they can introduce logistical risk. Helbach is candid about the need for competitive domestic capacity:

“We need very competitive mass manufacturers in North America.”

The Edison’s experience highlights how localizing supply chains is not just a matter of convenience, but of resilience and sustainability for future projects.

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Expanding Access: Redefining Real Estate Investment

Supply chain innovation is only part of Neutral’s approach; the company is also reimagining who gets to participate in real estate development. By lowering the minimum investment to $10,000 for accredited investors, Neutral is broadening access to institutional-grade assets and inviting a more diverse group of stakeholders.

“We’re giving this kind of institutional quality asset to the masses,” Helbach says.

This direct investment model bypasses traditional intermediaries, fostering transparency and a sense of shared purpose among investors. The result is a more engaged investor community, aligned with the long-term success of sustainable projects.

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Sustainability as Strategy: Aligning Environmental and Economic Value

The intersection of sustainability and profitability is often debated, but for Neutral, it is a calculated alignment. Helbach is unequivocal: “Sustainability is not just a buzzword; it’s a strategic advantage.” By designing buildings that consume resources at a rate commensurate with natural regeneration, Neutral positions itself to capture both higher occupancy rates and rental premiums.

This approach is not merely aspirational. As market demand for green buildings intensifies, the economic rationale for sustainable construction becomes increasingly compelling. Neutral’s projects demonstrate that environmental responsibility and financial performance are not mutually exclusive, but mutually reinforcing.

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Building Community: Designing for Resident Well-Being

The impact of architecture extends beyond the physical envelope; it shapes the social fabric of its occupants. Neutral’s developments are structured to cultivate meaningful connections and support holistic well-being. Amenities are not afterthoughts, but integral to the resident experience—ranging from on-site fitness and nutrition services to access to medical professionals.

“What we are trying to do is basically ensure that the people living in the building actually experience a better life,” Helbach explains.

The data supports this focus: “If you have a friend or a relationship in the building that you live in, you’ll have a 60% chance greater that you will renew your lease year-over-year.” By prioritizing community, Neutral increases tenant retention and satisfaction, reinforcing the value proposition for both residents and investors.

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Mass Timber’s Broader Impact: Linking Urban Demand to Rural Opportunity

The implications of mass timber extend well beyond city limits. As Neutral and others scale up adoption, the demand for locally sourced timber has the potential to revitalize rural economies—particularly in regions transitioning from legacy industries like paper manufacturing.

Helbach frames the challenge succinctly: “How do we get North America to adopt mass timber and use mass timber more often?” The answer lies in fostering collaboration across the supply chain, from forest management to fabrication. By anchoring urban development in rural production, mass timber can serve as a conduit for economic renewal and environmental stewardship.

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Conclusion

Neutral’s trajectory illustrates how seismic shifts in construction methods, investment models, and community design can converge to reshape urban living. The Edison and its successors are not isolated experiments, but part of a broader movement to align sustainability, economic value, and social well-being. As mass timber gains traction and local supply chains mature, the industry faces a pivotal opportunity: to build cities that are not only efficient and profitable, but also resilient and deeply connected to the people—and places—that sustain them.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does Neutral’s amenity model differ from conventional multifamily developments? Neutral centralizes amenities in a single large hub building, while surrounding low-rise buildings focus on efficient, high-quality residences with minimal in-unit amenities. This reduces redundancy and encourages more meaningful community engagement.

2. What specific supply chain challenges did the Edison project encounter, and how were they addressed? A fire on a shipping vessel disrupted mass timber deliveries, but Neutral’s use of prefabrication and modularity allowed them to receive subsequent shipments ahead of schedule, minimizing project delays.

3. How does Neutral’s investment approach broaden access to real estate development? By lowering the minimum investment to $10,000 for accredited investors and bypassing traditional intermediaries, Neutral enables a more diverse group of stakeholders to participate directly in institutional-grade assets.

4. In what ways does Neutral’s design strategy support resident well-being and community retention? Amenities such as fitness, nutrition, and access to medical professionals are integrated into the main hub, and the design encourages social connections among residents, which has been shown to significantly increase lease renewal rates.

5. What broader economic and environmental impacts are associated with Neutral’s use of mass timber? Scaling mass timber construction increases demand for locally sourced timber, which can help revitalize rural economies and promote sustainable forest management practices.

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What if the materials we choose for our buildings could do more than just support roofs and walls—what if they could actively repair some of the environmental harm we’ve caused? This is not a hypothetical for Peter Ewers, who sees every design decision as an opportunity to shift the trajectory of the built environment. “Humans have damaged the earth and our resources over the millennia, and it’s time for us to do something about it,” he insists, framing architecture as both a privilege and a responsibility.

But sustainability, as Ewers is quick to point out, is not a checkbox or a single product choice. It’s a complex equation—one that balances embodied carbon, operational energy, occupant health, and the realities of budget. In the story of the Foothills Unitarian Church, these variables converge: a client’s values, a material’s potential, and a design team’s willingness to challenge assumptions about cost and performance. The result is not just a building, but a case study in how architecture can become a lever for environmental change.

Building a Sustainable Future: The Architect’s Mission

Few professions are as directly implicated in climate change as architecture, where every design decision can either compound or mitigate environmental harm. This reality drives Peter Ewers of Ewers Architecture, who champions a comprehensive approach to sustainability that extends well beyond material selection. For Ewers, architects are uniquely positioned—and obligated—to address the environmental consequences of the built environment.

Ewers asserts, “Humans have damaged the earth and our resources over the millennia, and it’s time for us to do something about it.” This conviction shapes his practice, as seen in projects like the Foothills Unitarian Church, which serves as a testbed for integrated sustainable strategies. Ewers stresses that sustainability is not a checklist of green products; it is a synthesis of energy performance, occupant well-being, and long-term resilience.

Mass Timber: Rethinking Material Assumptions

Cost skepticism often shadows the adoption of new sustainable materials, yet Ewers’ experience with mass timber upended his own expectations. Early in the Foothills Unitarian Church project, he anticipated that cross-laminated timber (CLT) would be priced out of reach.

“I was waiting for that other shoe to drop to say, ‘Oh, you know what? We just can’t afford the mass timber,’” he recalls. Instead, the project revealed that CLT could deliver both economic and architectural value. The sanctuary’s exposed wood ceiling not only fulfilled the client’s vision for a low-carbon, biophilic space but also proved cost-competitive.

This alignment of client priorities and material innovation shows how sustainable choices can be integrated without compromise. By leveraging mass timber, Ewers delivered a solution that satisfied both environmental and experiential goals.

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Budget Constraints: The Cost of Sustainability

The perception that sustainability inflates project budgets remains a persistent obstacle. During the church project, Ewers confronted this directly, working closely with the general contractor to scrutinize every line item.

“If you want that wood look on the inside, this mass timber is not costing you any more money,” he explains, challenging the assumption that green materials always carry a premium. Through careful detailing and value engineering, the team ensured that mass timber was not an add-on, but an integrated, cost-neutral solution.

This project demonstrates that sustainability is often a matter of strategic alignment and early collaboration, not simply increased expenditure. The result is a building that meets both fiscal and environmental benchmarks.

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Innovative Engineering: Expanding Structural Possibilities

Material selection is only the beginning; how those materials are deployed can redefine architectural expression. The structural properties of CLT enabled Ewers to realize design ambitions that would have been difficult with steel or concrete.

“We wanted that thin edge look and we wanted the slab of the roof to span beyond all edges of the exterior walls,” Ewers notes. The team achieved a three-foot cantilevered overhang, using the inherent strength and dimensional stability of CLT. This move not only accentuated the building’s form but also reduced the need for additional structural elements.

By exploiting the unique capabilities of mass timber, the project advanced both aesthetic and performance objectives. The result is a building that leverages material science to achieve architectural clarity.

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All-Electric Systems: Decarbonizing Building Operations

Material choices are only part of the equation; operational energy use remains a dominant factor in a building’s carbon footprint. Ewers Architecture has committed to all-electric systems, eliminating natural gas in favor of technologies such as variable refrigerant flow (VRF).

“We decided several years ago that we were only going to focus on all-electric buildings with clients who desired to pursue net zero energy,” Ewers explains. This approach not only reduces operational emissions but also aligns with the increasing availability of renewable energy sources.

Transitioning to all-electric systems is a decisive move toward decarbonizing building operations. It positions projects for future grid integration and regulatory shifts, while delivering measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Dual Challenge: Operational vs. Embodied Carbon

Reducing operational energy is necessary, but insufficient if the embodied carbon of construction materials is ignored. Ewers underscores the importance of addressing both fronts: “Can we go back and even offset the carbon used to make the building itself?” he asks.

This dual focus requires a nuanced understanding of life-cycle impacts, from sourcing and manufacturing to end-of-life scenarios. By specifying low-carbon materials and optimizing energy systems, Ewers aims to create buildings that not only perform efficiently but also minimize their total carbon legacy.

A comprehensive carbon strategy is now essential for architects seeking to deliver truly sustainable projects. It demands integration across disciplines and a willingness to interrogate every phase of the building process.

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Looking Ahead: Healthier, More Resilient Buildings

Emerging client needs and new research continue to reshape the sustainability agenda. Ewers is currently collaborating with a residential client with multiple chemical sensitivities, prompting a reevaluation of material health and indoor air quality.

“We’re always looking for clients who want to push that limit and push us into a new direction,” he says. This project has led to deeper investigation into non-toxic materials and construction methods that support occupant health.

The drive to create healthier, more resilient buildings is expanding the definition of sustainability. It is no longer enough to reduce energy use or carbon; architects must also consider the lived experience and long-term well-being of building occupants.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How did the use of mass timber (CLT) impact both the cost and design of the Foothills Unitarian Church project? CLT proved cost-competitive while enabling the exposed wood ceiling and cantilevered overhang that fulfilled both the client’s aesthetic and sustainability goals.

What strategies were employed to ensure that sustainability measures did not inflate the project budget? The team worked closely with the general contractor, using value engineering and early alignment to integrate mass timber as a cost-neutral solution.

In what ways did the structural properties of CLT influence the architectural expression of the building? CLT’s strength and dimensional stability allowed for a three-foot cantilevered roof overhang and a thin-edge profile, reducing the need for additional structural elements and enhancing the building’s form.

How does Ewers Architecture address both operational and embodied carbon in their projects? They specify low-carbon materials and optimize all-electric energy systems, aiming to minimize both the carbon used in construction and the emissions generated during building operation.

What prompted a deeper focus on material health and indoor air quality in recent projects? A collaboration with a residential client with multiple chemical sensitivities led the firm to investigate non-toxic materials and construction methods that support occupant health.

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If you had asked a room of architects a decade ago whether a 10-story timber building could stand tall in a seismic hotspot, most would have dismissed the idea as fanciful—if not outright reckless. Yet today, Vancouver’s Hive rises as a striking counterpoint, its honeycomb exoskeleton and timber braced frame system challenging both convention and gravity. What changed? And how did a material once relegated to low-rise construction become the centerpiece of one of North America’s most ambitious urban projects?

For Ryan McClanaghan of DIALOG , the answer is as much about community as it is about engineering. “There’s something about this material and this way of thinking about a project that really captured my imagination,” he recalls of his early exposure to mass timber in Europe. That initial spark—fueled by open collaboration and a willingness to rethink the fundamentals—set him on a path from novice to innovator, culminating in a project that demonstrates what can happen when design, sustainability, and resilience converge.

From Novice to Innovator: Ryan McClanaghan's Journey into Mass Timber

A single encounter with a new material can redirect an entire career. For Ryan McClanaghan, that moment arrived during his studies at the University of Toronto, where early exposure to mass timber set the stage for a transformative path. His formative work term in Berlin, immersed in the European timber scene, catalyzed a fascination that would later position him as a leader in North American mass timber design with The Hive.

“There’s something about this material and this way of thinking about a project that really captured my imagination.” Ryan’s early intrigue was fueled by witnessing projects like a mass timber office building in Helsinki—examples that demonstrated both the technical and cultural momentum of timber in Europe. Returning to Canada with Dialogue, his growing expertise soon converged with the opportunity to lead the design of The Hive.

Rethinking Structure: The Hive’s Perimeter-Driven Timber System

Few North American projects have so thoroughly reimagined the structural logic of mass timber as The Hive. Rather than defaulting to a concrete core, the design team shifted the primary structural elements to the building’s perimeter, unlocking new architectural and engineering possibilities.

“What if we did an all-wood structure above L2?” This question reframed the project’s ambitions, resulting in a 10-story Vancouver building whose cellular exoskeleton and timber braced frame system serve both as expressive façade and as the backbone of its seismic resilience. The integration of timber shear walls and buckling restraint braces demonstrates how mass timber can perform at scale—not just as a material of warmth, but as a robust structural solution.

The Hive’s biophilic strategies—from cascading balconies to generous daylighting—are not mere aesthetic gestures. They are embedded in the building’s structural DNA, with the unique geometry of the façade channeling forces efficiently while fostering occupant well-being. As Ryan notes, “The unique geometry of the building facade carries the forces that act on it, creating a harmonious relationship between form and function.”

This perimeter-driven approach set the stage for the project’s next major challenge: seismic performance in a demanding context.

Navigating Seismic Challenges: Engineering Resilience

Vancouver’s seismic profile demands more than conventional solutions, especially for mass timber structures. The Hive’s design team confronted this directly, seeking to minimize concrete use while meeting stringent performance criteria.

“We only wanted to use concrete as much as we needed to get out of the ground.” This guiding principle led to a predominantly timber superstructure above the second level. The team’s close collaboration with structural engineers yielded a lateral system built around timber buckling restraint braces—an approach that satisfied seismic codes and reinforced the building’s architectural identity.

“We are well above what the performance needs to be,” Ryan explains, underscoring the project’s commitment to both safety and technical rigor. The integration of seismic resilience into the building’s visual language exemplifies how engineering and design ambition can reinforce one another.

The complexity of these challenges required a project culture built on trust and shared expertise—a theme that would define the next phase of The Hive’s development.

Collaboration: The Heart of Successful Mass Timber Projects

When technical ambition meets construction reality, the difference between success and failure often lies in the quality of collaboration. The Hive’s progress depended on a tightly integrated team of architects, engineers, and builders, each contributing specialized knowledge to solve unprecedented problems.

“Teams make projects go,” Ryan emphasizes, reflecting on the necessity of open communication and mutual respect. The project’s unique features—perimeter bracing, exposed timber, and complex connections—demanded iterative problem-solving and a willingness to adapt as new challenges emerged.

“How you solve problems together collaboratively is important,” he notes, highlighting the value of collective intelligence over individual heroics. This ethos extended beyond the core team, as Ryan actively sought input from peers across the industry, reinforcing a culture where knowledge-sharing accelerates progress.

The collaborative momentum built on The Hive would soon propel Ryan into a broader network of mass timber innovators, both locally and abroad.

Learning from the Best: A Journey of Knowledge and Networking

Access to global expertise can accelerate innovation far beyond what’s possible in isolation. Ryan’s deliberate outreach to leaders in mass timber—through site visits, conferences, and direct conversations—provided a foundation of technical insight and professional relationships that shaped his approach to The Hive and beyond.

“I was amazed by the number of doors that opened, the people I met, and the meaningful connections I made.” These experiences not only expanded his technical repertoire but also embedded him in a community where ideas and lessons circulate freely. Ryan encourages peers to seek out these opportunities: “If you can do it, get out in the world and visit some timber projects.”

By immersing himself in the international mass timber community, Ryan gained a nuanced understanding of both the material’s potential and its limitations—knowledge that would inform his approach to hybrid systems and sustainability.

The Future of Mass Timber: Hybrid Approaches and Sustainability

As mass timber matures, the conversation is shifting from material purity to strategic integration. The next frontier lies in hybrid systems that combine timber, concrete, and steel, each deployed where it performs best.

“We love timber and we want to use it in the right places and as much as possible.” This pragmatic philosophy underpins projects like the 19-story hybrid mass timber tower now underway in Vancouver, where timber’s strengths are complemented by other materials to achieve both performance and cost targets.

The adoption of life cycle analysis (LCA) as a design tool—not just a reporting requirement—enables teams to make evidence-based decisions about material selection and environmental impact. “I’m excited about this LCA process not as reporting but as a design tool to make good choices along the way,” Ryan explains, pointing to a future where sustainability is embedded in the earliest design moves, not appended at the end.

This evolution in practice is inseparable from the networks and communities that sustain it—a point Ryan returns to as he considers the broader movement.

Building Momentum: Community, Knowledge, and the Next Chapter

The rapid advancement of mass timber is not the result of isolated breakthroughs, but of a growing community committed to rigorous exchange and shared ambition. Ryan’s experience demonstrates that the most significant progress occurs when expertise is pooled and lessons are openly shared.

“If you’re curious about it, if you’re interested, you’re asking good questions. People love to talk about what they’re up to,” he observes, underscoring the accessibility of the mass timber community to those willing to engage.

As the industry moves toward more complex hybrid systems and deeper sustainability metrics, the need for robust professional networks and transparent dialogue will only intensify. The future of mass timber will be shaped not just by technical innovation, but by the willingness of practitioners to collaborate across disciplines and geographies.

In the end, The Hive stands as a case study in how seismic innovation, collaborative culture, and a commitment to sustainable hybrid systems can converge in a single project. The real measure of progress lies not in isolated achievements, but in the capacity of the field to continually integrate new knowledge, challenge assumptions, and build structures—and communities—that endure.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did The Hive’s structural system differ from typical North American mass timber projects? The Hive moved primary structural elements to the building’s perimeter, using a cellular exoskeleton and timber braced frame system rather than a conventional concrete core.

What strategies were used to address Vancouver’s seismic requirements with minimal concrete? The design team created a predominantly timber superstructure above level two, incorporating timber buckling restraint braces and shear walls to meet and exceed seismic performance standards.

How did collaboration influence the project’s technical and construction outcomes? A tightly integrated team of architects, engineers, and builders engaged in open communication and iterative problem-solving, enabling solutions to unique challenges like perimeter bracing and complex connections.

What role did international knowledge exchange play in shaping The Hive’s design approach? Ryan McClanaghan’s outreach to European mass timber experts through site visits and direct conversations provided technical insights and professional relationships that informed the project’s structural strategies and hybrid system integration.

How is sustainability addressed in The Hive and subsequent projects?The team uses life cycle analysis (LCA) as a design tool to guide material selection and environmental impact, and embraces hybrid systems that combine timber, concrete, and steel to optimize both performance and sustainability.