Mass timber construction is on the rise. Once a specialty product found mostly in the multifamily sector, mass timber is now expanding its profile in the commercial sector.
Efficiency also characterizes fabrication of the building’s components. “The connections are pre-engineered, pre-drilled and pre-designed so that when the material actually shows up on the site, there’s very little construction waste at all because all the pieces are coming together,” said Anthony Markese, a principal at Pickard Chilton, which has designed more than 4 million square feet of mass timber projects.
Among them is T3 RiNo, a six-story, 220,000-square-foot mass timber building located in Denver’s River North Art District. In 2025, Xcel Energy will relocate its regional headquarters to the property, which is being developed by a joint venture of Ivanhoé Cambridge, Hines and McCaffery.
From ground-up developments to neighborhood revitalizations, here are some of the projects that will redraw the metro's skyline.
Seattle’s commercial real estate scene is defined by robust expansion and sustainable development. The metro’s strong economy—fueled by tech giants that support employment and population growth—is spurring demand for all types of properties.
8. The Eight
Another Skanska project currently under construction is The Eight, a 540,000-square-foot office and retail development in Bellevue. The 25-story project aims to blend into the neighborhood’s urban fabric while offering a dynamic and wellness-centric environment for its tenants.
“By integrating state-of-the-art health and wellness features, providing expansive indoor-outdoor spaces, and creating a hospitable lobby environment, we strive to help our tenants redefine their workplace, reinvigorating post-pandemic office models, while simultaneously enhancing the life of the neighborhood as a whole,” said Charlie Foushée, executive vice president & regional manager with Skanska.
Rockefeller Group and Stonebridge have begun construction on 600 Fifth, a 400,000-square-foot redevelopment office project in Washington, D.C. The groundbreaking marks the closing of a 99-year ground lease with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), which remains the ground lessor of the property.
At a recent event that included a traditional Japanese purification ceremony, ground broke on the Pickard Chilton-designed Y2 Project, a mixed-use development in Tokyo. The 3.3 million-square-foot, state-of-the-art high-rise marks the architectural firm’s first commission in Japan.
The Arlington County Board just announced the approval of a 25-year, five-phase redevelopment plan that will completely transform Rosslyn’s east end. Proposed by Vornado Realty Trust/Charles E Smith and Gould Property, the project plans the redevelopment of a 7 65-acre superblock into a five-block mixed-use complex overlooking the Potomac River.
Owned by KBS REIT II and managed by Hines, 300 North LaSalle has earned Platinum and Gold LEED certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council – Platinum for Existing Buildings and Gold for its Core & Shell.