Thomas Stearns is operations manager for Swinerton, the general contractor on the Northlake Commons building – a four-story mass timber mixed use building that will feature office, lab and retail space. It’s one example of a mass timber building that’s actually rising from the ground as developers in cities, including Seattle, look for ways to reduce carbon emissions, but keep building to accommodate a growing population. While mass timber has taken off in parts of Europe and just to our north in British Columbia, the movement has been slower to take root in the U.S. The timber for Northlake Commons was sourced from British Columbia and fabricated at Timberlab in Portland. …Figures vary and research is ongoing, but a 2019 study led by researchers from the University of Washington found a more than 26% reduction in global warming potential building with CLT as opposed to more energy-intensive concrete and steel construction.