COLUMBUS, Ohio — The tallest mass timber student housing structure in the U.S. in Columbus, Ohio, recently topped out. The 13-story, 186-unit off-campus development, located near the Ohio State University, stands at 158 feet. INTRO Columbus spans 242,000 sf and will accommodate 493 beds. It marks the first mass timber project in Columbus. Mass timber construction using prefabricated glulam columns and beams, and cross-laminated timber panels enabled an accelerated project delivery schedule. Construction proceeded at speeds of two and a half floors every two to three weeks. Topping out occurred roughly 10 weeks ahead of the original November target, a gain the building team attributes to prefabrication and tight field coordination. …When completed, the building is on track to save 1,128 metric tons of carbon compared to an equivalent concrete and steel structure. The mass timber structure was manufactured and sourced by SmartLam North America in Alabama, cutting transport-related carbon emissions by about 55%.