expertise > Architecture > Mass Timber Architecture
The Commons at ATCO Commercial Centre in Calgary.
The ATCO Campus in Calgary.
T3 Rino in Denver, Colorado
The Commons at ATCO Commercial Centre in Calgary
The Uber Sky Loft in Melbourne, Australia
The enclosed conference and amenity pods dispersed throughout the Commons evoke the modular mobile offices designed and built by ATCO themselves.

Mass Timber Architecture

Pickard Chilton has designed 4 million gross square feet of mass timber architecture across North America since 2013 – the equivalent in carbon reduction of eliminating 6,985 cars from the road or the annual amount of energy necessary to power 3,108 homes. We are vocal proponents of carbon-informed mass timber design and actively support the global initiative to increase its accessibility and availability to a greater span of geographic regions and markets.

Since completing our first timber project in 2018, the ATCO Commercial Centre in Calgary, we have built upon and continually expanded our team’s knowledge of this rapidly evolving and much-anticipated industry. The fundamental attraction of mass timber is its innate connection to the human experience, its contribution to providing healthy, sustainable environments, and the simplicity of the construction process as compared with conventional carbon-laden building methods.


The use and application of natural wood in mass timber buildings create healthier and inspirational environments. They embody the central principles of biophilic design, the human attraction to be close with other forms of natural life. Designing an interior environment rich with natural wood has a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system, making occupants subconsciously more comfortable and relaxed.

Unfinished wood can be incorporated throughout the interior and exterior design, celebrating the beauty and strength of the natural material. Large structural elements in warm wood tones evoke a comforting familiarity of a tree canopy. Due to their inherent density and composite attributes, wood products and mass timber contribute to sound control and acoustic dampening within a building. Mass timber building products are hypoallergenic, enhancing a building’s air quality, and the improved humidity control of the material improves the thermal comfort over baseline construction. 

Humankind has used wood to build shelter for millennia. The simplicity and efficiency of mass timber’s construction process differentiate it from conventional carbon-laden building methods. Large-scale structural elements are prefabricated and delivered to the site ready to assemble, significantly reducing construction time and waste. Prefabricated elements are assembled with less intensive construction sequences than their concrete or steel counterparts. This efficient staging process allows for less disruption and construction noise, thereby demonstrating sensitivity and consideration of neighboring sites and the greater community.

Mass timber’s unique characteristics also share significant life-safety benefits. Due to the natural density of mass timber, it does not burn like conventional wood, but rather slowly chars. Mass timber products therefore qualify for a fire rating even when left exposed without additional fire-protective materials. Careful consideration of the use of mass timber and the planning of its construction sequences creates abundant opportunities for greater efficiency of personnel, time, and materials.

Related Work

T3 RiNo is a six-story mass timber office building featuring numerous open terraces, a variety of amenity spaces and three levels of below-grade parking.

The Joinery celebrates the inherent strength and natural benefits of mass timber design. As the first commercially available building in Silicon Valley to feature the low-carbon structural system, its design is a series of interlocking volumes with distinctive framed moments that create a healthy and inspired balance of immersive environments. Reminiscent of the end grain of a wood beam, the accentuated bays serve as a cross-section of the Joinery’s experience where people can gather, reflect, and connect with nature.

1125 Arguello is a four-story creative office development. Mass timber development - Pickard Chilton Architect

Located in the Centennial neighborhood of Redwood City, 1125 Arguello is a four-story creative office development.

Phase one of the ATCO Campus is a dynamic composition of two four-story office buildings around a leaf-shaped quad and a partially subgrade parkade, and is interconnected by a multi-purpose Commons.

ATCO Commercial Center is a dynamic composition of two four-story office buildings, creating a communal space within the workspace to offer visual connections to adjacent floors.

Exterior design proposal for the Skyloft program by Uber constructed with mass timber and three landing pads.

Pickard Chilton and Arup were engaged to design a concept for a Skyport Mobility Hub for 2023, the Uber Sky Loft, in Melbourne, Australia, at the Uber Elevate Summit 2019

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. 

Read more at Commercial Property Executive 

Iconic Texas brands, assemble! Hines continues its Greater Houston domination as it spearheads the development of Texas A&M University’s mass-timber Aplin Center. 

The College Station campus’ latest hub will be educational and recreational, designed by architectural firms DLR Group and Pickard Chilton. The latter is known for developing two of Houston’s largest corporate projects — the 1.3 million-square-foot Hewlett Packard Enterprise Corporate Campus and ExxonMobil’s 365-acre Spring office complex

“The Aplin Center will be an emerald oasis that preserves the legacy live oak trees and unites the main campus, West Campus and Kyle Field,” said Anthony Markese, a principal at Pickard Chilton. “We envision a warm and beautiful timber building that says, ‘Howdy!’” 

The development is part of Hines’ sustainable mass-timber construction endeavor, T3. The eco-conscious company has a goal of net-zero operational carbon by 2040.

Read more at The Real Deal 

Sustainability has become a cornerstone of modern architecture, reflecting a global shift towards environmental responsibility. As we move through 2024, innovative practices and technologies are transforming how we design and construct buildings. At Pickard Chilton, our architect and designers are at the forefront of this movement, exploring new ways to create spaces that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also environmentally sustainable. In this article, emerging trends in sustainable architecture are explored, showcasing our commitment to creating a more environmentally friendly future. 

T3 RiNo (Timber, Transit & Technology), located at 3500 Blake St, brings the neighborhood’s spirit of invention to life in a 220,000-square-foot building that features elegant designs and sustainably sourced timber to combine the working world with everyday life. 

Read more at Mile High CRE 

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