The Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) has unveiled a multi-disciplinary roster of speakers and the conference agenda for the upcoming 2024 cross-laminated timber (CLT) conference to be held this October in Auburn, Alabama.

Known in the southeast as the premier mass timber conference, “The Sustainable Future of CLT in the South: Grow. Design. Build.” will be held at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center Oct 7-9. The three-day event will feature renowned experts in forestry, building science, engineering and architecture and design from across the U.S. who will share the latest research, trends and developments impacting sustainable mass timber construction.

An Auburn University student is shown working with cross-laminated timber (CLT) at the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Advanced Structural Engineering Lab (ASEL). The ASEL will be part of an attendee tour to explore Auburn’s mass timber research facilities and CLT-constructed buildings.

Experts from Jamestown, L.P., AXA XL, Auburn University, ResourceWise, KPFF and the TallWood Design Institute are leading plenary and concurrent sessions focusing on wood quality, wood products and silviculture and risk management and insurability of mass timber projects.

Speakers from leading architectural, construction and engineering firms, including Modly, EQUILIBRIUM, Anectdote Architectural Experiences, Turner Construction Company and HDR, will discuss the structural design, construction, performance and operation of CLT buildings and the economics and carbon accounting of mass timber projects.

Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of Auburn’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, will welcome attendees before introducing Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts and former U.S. Attorney General and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, who will provide opening remarks that will explore the role of the university to advance mass timber as a new market for the region’s diverse industry stakeholders.

Following their welcome, the conference’s first keynote address will take attendees step-by-step through Auburn’s latest mass timber project in the presentation titled “From Design to Build: The Kreher Preserve & Nature Center’s CLT Project Unveiled.” The keynote speakers include:

• Janaki Alavalapati, Auburn’s Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment
• Tom Chung, FAIA LEED AP BD+C, principal at Leers Weinzapfel Associate and professor of practice in Auburn’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction (CADC)
• Derek Ratchford, CEO of SmartLam North America

The second keynote address will be given by Judith Sheine, DPACSA, who is a professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Oregon and is an Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor. Sheine is the director of Oregon’s TallWood Design Institute, a collaboration between the University of Oregon’s College of Design and Oregon State University’s Colleges of Forestry and Engineering, which focuses on advancing timber manufacturing and design. She will share how the TallWood Design Institute came into being, the partnerships that support it, and the role that TallWood Design Institute has within the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition.

Expanding on the role of academia to lead innovation in mass timber production, design, engineering and construction, expert panelists will highlight research advancements led by the Carnegie-rated R1 institutions: Auburn University, Clemson University, the University of Arkansas and the University of Oregon. Richard Vlosky, director of the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center at Louisiana State University, will be the moderator. Faculty experts participating in the panel discussion include:

• David Hinson, FAIA, associate dean of the College of Architecture, Design & Construction at Auburn University
• Pat Layton, director of the Wood Utilization + Design Institute at Clemson University
• Peter MacKeith, dean of the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas
• Judith Sheine, DPACSA, professor in the School of Architecture and Environment in the College of Design at the University of Oregon and the director of design at the TallWood Design Institute

Additionally, a panel discussion featuring representatives of SmartLam North America, Alabama Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) and local economic development agencies from Auburn, Dothan and Montgomery, Alabama, will provide insights about the economic development initiatives undertaken to encourage the use of mass timber, building parameter needs, potential building applications for mass timber projects, impact of mass timber projects on economic development and more.

Closing remarks will be provided by Brian Luoma, newly retired president and CEO of The Westervelt Company and Softwood Lumber Board, and Steve Taylor, senior vice president for research and economic development at Auburn University.

At the close of the meeting, attendees will tour the Auburn Kreher Preserve Nature Center’s CLT project, anticipated to be completed this fall, and will visit Auburn’s Advanced Structural Engineering Lab, the Forest Products Development Center and CADC’s Robins & Morton Construction Field Lab.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for professionals within our region to stay abreast of advancements in the dynamic realm of CLT and sustainable mass timber products,” said Alavalapati.

The CLT conference will be the second hosted by Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment in collaboration with the College of Architecture, Design and Construction and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering as part of Auburn’s Mass Timber Collaborative, a multidisciplinary initiative created to advance research, education and outreach in mass timber design and construction.

“Powered by its robust industry partnerships, Auburn University is primed to lead innovation within our colleges alongside multidisciplinary experts from diverse sectors of government and business,” said Alavalapati.

To view the conference agenda and a complete list of speakers, visit cfwe.auburn.edu. Early bird conference registration is currently open until Aug. 31, and attendees can choose packages to include full attendance or partial dates. Organizations interested in becoming a sponsor or exhibitor of the conference may also select from multiple levels or opt to become premier sponsors of keynote sessions, receptions and/or meals.

Discounted accommodations will be available at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center through Aug. 31.

Learn more or register online.

 (Written by Jamie Anderson)