An architect walks into a mass timber factory for the first time. He expects to find logs, sawdust, the smell of raw wood. Instead he finds pressed panels the size of an entire wall, each one already machined with holes, openings, and identification markings — pieces that look closer to an industrial component than to a tree.
That is the first surprise for anyone coming to mass timber from concrete or steel: the material does not behave like raw wood. Mass timber is the family of structural products made from wood lamellas glued together in layers — like Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), used in floor, wall, and roof panels, and glued laminated timber, or glulam, used in beams and columns. The layered gluing process multiplies the strength of natural wood and allows structural pieces to be manufactured at industrial scale, with predictable dimensions and behavior — opening the door to buildings, schools, and warehouses that would be unfeasible with traditional solid wood.
If you have never designed with the material, this is the entry point: what changes from concept to assembly, why industrialization drives every decision, and where mass timber differs from concrete and steel without depending on either
What sets mass timber design apart from conventional design?
Mass timber design operates under an industrialized logic: every piece leaves the factory with final dimensions, openings for building systems, and drilling for connections already defined. This changes the order of decisions. With reinforced concrete, adjustments are possible during construction — cutting, adding, adapting on site. With mass timber, on-site adjustment is the exception, not the routine. Definition has to happen before manufacturing.
This requires architects and engineers to work collaboratively from the start — not in sequence, one handing off to the other, but in parallel. In Brazil, standard NBR 7190:2022 governs the design of timber structures, incorporating specific criteria for CLT and glulam.
What are the stages of mass timber structural design?
The project develops through sequential, interdependent phases. Decisions made at the concept stage directly impact manufacturing and assembly — no stage can be isolated from the next.
1. Technical feasibility study
The first stage assesses whether mass timber meets the project’s requirements: spans, loads, climate conditions, regulatory demands. Urbem offers a Pre-Construction service, which includes technical feasibility analysis and guidance on the best structural solutions for each project.
2. Structural design and system definition
Once feasibility is confirmed, the structural engineer defines the system: CLT panels for floors, walls, and roofs; glulam beams and columns for portal-frame systems; or hybrid systems combining timber with concrete or steel. The choice depends on clear span, applied loads, acoustic and thermal requirements, and integration with the architecture.
3. Coordination with building systems
Coordination between structure and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems happens before manufacturing, not after. Openings for ducts, conduits, and piping are defined in the project and executed at the factory through CNC machining — this eliminates improvised cuts on site and transfers the precision of the technical drawing directly to the manufactured piece.
4. Manufacturing detailing
Detailing translates the structural design into manufacturing instructions. Each panel or beam receives a unique identification, with specifications for dimensions, layers, treatment, and connection type. Files are generated in formats compatible with CNC machines, ensuring precision in execution.
How does Urbem carry out structural engineering in timber?
Urbem has its own structural engineering team specialized in mass timber. The Structural Timber Engineering service develops complete structural design for CLT, glulam, and hybrid systems, following Brazilian and international standards.
The integration between engineering and industrial production allows the project to already account for the factory’s capabilities from the outset — optimizing panel dimensions and reducing joints before the piece is even drawn.
Why does industrialization define the outcome?
Everything up to this point converges on a single point: mass timber is, above all, an industrial product. Every CLT panel and every glulam beam comes from a repeatable process — selected lamellas, glued in layers under controlled pressure and temperature, pressed until they form a structural element with predictable behavior. That repeatability is what makes it possible to predict, at the design stage, exactly how the piece will behave on site.
It is this industrial logic — not a modeling tool — that underpins the coordination between structure and building systems before manufacturing. Because each piece is machined to precise specifications at the factory, the project has to anticipate every opening, every drill hole, every connection before the piece physically exists. The gain is not in visualizing the project one way or another: it is in transferring precision into the factory, where quality control is constant, and removing that margin of error from the job site.
Practical benefits: every component leaves the factory with dimensions, treatment, and mechanical properties already verified against the approved design — there is no last-minute adjustment to absorb. That same industrial process that guarantees the right piece also feeds manufacturing and logistics planning, because the factory knows, in advance, exactly what it will produce and when.
What happens during the manufacturing phase?
Once the detailed design is approved, industrial manufacturing begins. CLT panels are produced from treated wood lamellas, glued in perpendicular layers with structural adhesives qualified under European standard EN 15425. Hydraulic pressing ensures adhesion between layers.
Glulam beams follow a similar process, with lamellas glued in the same direction — forming linear elements with high bending resistance. After gluing, the pieces go through CNC machining, where they receive the cuts defined in the design.
How does on-site assembly work?
Assembly is the final phase of the cycle. Pieces arrive identified and ready for installation, with openings already executed and connections predefined. Specialized teams position each element according to the sequence set out in the design.
Urbem offers an Assembly service, with its own trained teams for fast, safe execution. The lightness of the components compared to concrete reduces the need for heavy equipment, and dry assembly eliminates curing time.
Advantages of industrialized assembly: more predictable schedules, the result of control over manufacturing and the elimination of weather-dependent stages. Cleaner job sites, with no formwork, rebar, or concrete pouring. Greater safety for crews, with less work at height and less exposure to risks typical of conventional construction.
What technical standards govern mass timber design in Brazil?
Structural sizing in Brazil follows standard NBR 7190, updated in 2022 to incorporate CLT and glulam. The standard defines safety coefficients, reference mechanical properties, and limit-state verification methods.
Standard NBR 16826:2020 specifically regulates CLT panels — manufacturing requirements, testing methods, and structural performance criteria. These standards align Brazilian practice with international benchmarks such as Eurocode 5.
What sustainability aspects does mass timber design address?
Mass timber stores carbon throughout its entire service life. Each cubic meter of wood applied in construction retains approximately one metric ton of CO₂ that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere — one of the arguments architect Michael Green develops in detail in his talk on wooden skyscrapers, a reference for anyone looking to understand the material’s potential beyond the scale of a single project.
Urbem sources wood from managed forests with certification (FSC , ensuring full chain-of-custody traceability. The Urbem Carbon Report quantifies the carbon stored and emissions avoided in each project — allowing developers and owners to document the environmental impact of their buildings.
Designing with mass timber requires integration and industrialization
Mass timber structural design demands early planning, rigorous coordination, and industrialized execution. From concept to assembly, every technical decision impacts the final outcome. The integration between architecture, engineering, and manufacturing defines the feasibility and quality of the project.
Each stage of this cycle has a corresponding Urbem service:
- Pre-Construction — technical feasibility analysis and guidance on the best structural solutions, before any design decision is made.
- Structural Timber Engineering — complete structural design for CLT, glulam, and hybrid systems, following Brazilian and international standards.
- Assembly — dedicated, trained teams for fast, safe on-site execution.
Quer projetar com madeira engenheirada? Entre em contato com a equipe Urbem para avaliar a viabilidade técnica do seu projeto.
