A new spec office building rising from the earth in Newington is testing a construction material gaining popularity around the world which, its backers say, can help fight climate change. 

Gov. Chris Sununu, local officials, representatives from local businesses and others gathered on Oct. 17 to participate in the groundbreaking for Farley White Interests’ new mass timber building, the first of its kind in the state.  

The building site, at 90 Arboretum Drive on Newington’s side of Pease International Tradeport, will soon be home to a 72,000–square-foot class A office building. SGA Architects of Boston designed the structure. 

Mass timber buildings may be new to New England, but they certainly aren’t new in the field of construction. In Portland, Oregon, mass timber buildings have grown in popularity in recent years. While the growing interest is newer to the U.S., the use of mass timber building has been popular in Europe for many decades.  

Mass timber has two advantages over traditional building materialsaccording to Denis Dancoes, senior director at Cushman & Wakefield. First, Dancoes stated, is the eco-friendly makeup of the material itself.  

“When creating concrete and steel you’re emitting significant carbon emissions,” Dancoes said. “When you harvest wood for mass timber, you are sequestering the carbon in the material that you’re using to build the building.”  

Mass Timber 101
Most mass timber materials are manufactured off-site. Because mass timber weighs less than traditional building materials, such as steel, it requires a smaller foundation. The foundation requires special features, however, and therefore takes longer to build. Experiments by USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory indicate that mass timber is highly resistant to fire, explosions and earthquakes.   

Marketing materials for 90 Arboretum Drive describe mass timber construction as generating around one-third the carbon dioxide as steel or concrete. 

Mass timber’s aesthetic appeal offers developers another benefit. Its large beams are strong enough to span comparable distances to steel and concrete, and when left exposed give even new buildings the look of a century-old mill building. 

“Why not be in an environment that has a really appealing aesthetic?” Dancoes asked. “Ask any CEO or president of any company: ‘Wouldn’t you rather be in a building that offers better wellbeing for your employees?’ Any office-using occupant would benefit.”  

‘A Wonderful Way to Build’ 

Mass timber is made in large panels, as well as posts and beams, which are layered together. These layers of wood are then nailed or glued together under high pressure, creating an incredibly strong yet lighter building material.  

That is a significant benefit, said John Power, principal at Farley White Interests, the developers of the mass timber building under construction near Portsmouth.  

“I think this type of construction more and more will become standard for moderate and medium-sized office buildings,” said Power. “Mass timber has come into its own in the past few years. It’s a wonderful way to build.”  

While mass timber is a slightly more expensive material than concrete or steel, Power noted the construction time is reduced when using it, resulting in a cost savings.  

“You spend more time on the initial foundation and core structures because they’re very specific,” said Power. “You spend less time putting the building up in the air.”  

Power noted that his firm faced a few challenges getting the mass timber building approved under existing building codes, but nothing significant.  

While 90 Arboretum Drive is being built on spec, Power stated he isn’t worried about using a construction material potential tenants aren’t familiar with. Farley White Interests also built the office building next door to 90 Arboretum Drive, and it’s “been 100 percent full since it was built,” he said. 

He noted the need for quality office space in the Portsmouth area, calling it a “rapidly growing office market.”  

While Power noted that there is an interest in remaking old buildings – such as the mills Farley White Interests owns, many dating back 175 years – these pose significant problems. Built in an era without electricity, getting the buildings electrified and also positioning modern office furniture inside of them can be a challenge.  

Mass timber buildings offer many of the same attributes of the old buildings, he said: lots of natural light and an aesthetically pleasing appearance, but are more conducive to modern office needs.  

“This gives you a lot of the same feel but with a more modern layout, and does it very efficiently,” Power said.