Building with the Forest: The Promise of Mass Timber
Mass timber is more than just a building material; it's a new paradigm. It represents a way to build beautiful, efficient, and climate-friendly structures that honor both people and the planet. By using this remarkable material, we are not just constructing cabins—we are building a connection to the natural world and a legacy of thoughtful design. At Tieton Cabin Company, we are proud to be part of this movement, harnessing the power of mass timber to create sanctuaries that are as strong and enduring as the forests they come from.
What is Mass Timber?
At its core, mass timber is a category of engineered wood products that are exceptionally large and strong. Unlike traditional light-frame wood construction, mass timber utilizes solid wood panels, columns, and beams to form a building’s structural system. These components are created by binding together smaller pieces of wood—like dimensional lumber or veneers—under immense pressure with high-performance adhesives. The result is a product that is incredibly strong, dimensionally stable, and surprisingly fire-resistant.
One of the most exciting forms of mass timber, and a cornerstone of our building philosophy, is Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). CLT panels are made by stacking layers of kiln-dried lumber at 90-degree angles to one another and then pressing them together. This cross-lamination process gives the panels immense strength in two directions, creating a structural material that can rival the performance of concrete and steel, but with a fraction of the environmental impact.
In a Tieton Cabin, we use CLT not just as a hidden structural element, but as the very heart of the home. The solid CLT panels form both the building's structure and its interior finish, surrounding you with the warmth and natural beauty of real wood.
A Movement Rooted in Washington
The Pacific Northwest has long been a leader in forestry and innovation, and the mass timber movement is no exception. Organizations like the Washington Mass Timber Accelerator (MASSTAC) are championing this new era of construction. Their mission is to sustainably and equitably accelerate the adoption of mass timber, recognizing its potential to transform our built environment for the better.
By fostering collaboration between architects, engineers, builders, and manufacturers, MASSTAC is helping to grow a regional ecosystem that supports this climate-smart technology. They highlight how mass timber can be used for everything from single-family homes to large civic and commercial buildings, all while supporting rural economies and promoting healthy forests. Tieton Cabin Company is proud to align with this vision, demonstrating how modular, design-forward homes can be a key part of this sustainable future. We are proving that mass timber is not just for large-scale projects but can bring immense benefits to personal, intimate spaces like our cabins.
Tieton Cabins: A Vision for the Future of Building
At Tieton Cabin Company, our commitment to mass timber is at the core of who we are, and what we build. It is the perfect material to bring our vision to life: creating sanctuaries that are a lighter footprint on the earth, beautiful, durable, and in deep harmony with their surroundings. By integrating a heavy steel substructure with the robust nature of CLT, we have engineered a cabin that offers unparalleled strength and longevity.
We invite you to experience the difference. Discover a home built not just from wood, but from a belief in a better way to build.
