Two of the biggest developers in real estate said this week that buildings constructed using mass timber are leasing up faster and commanding premium rents compared with those solely using standard building materials. Directors from Hines and Howard Hughes Holdings told the audience at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in Austin that the cost of mass timber buildings is also coming down and that the amount of carbon used in construction is significantly less than with buildings developed using more concrete and steel. …Mass timber is increasingly being used across the world. Hines has built or is building 27 schemes globally using mass timber under its T3 program and is looking to undertake more. …The panelists were aware of the challenges facing the wider adoption of mass timber. …But changes to building codes and centralized testing facilities for materials are helping to overcome these barriers, they said.