Wood in Architecture: Mass Timber in Transportation Infrastructure  

Mass timber is a sustainable, high-performance material that is helping realize new transportation infrastructure across the United States. This course explores mass timber's role in designing and constructing bridges and transportation hubs, showcasing innovative projects prioritizing durability, sustainability, and architectural excellence. Participants will gain insight into mass timber's structural and environmental benefits, its integration into multimodal transit centers, and its contribution to reducing carbon footprints in large-scale infrastructure.

Kim Van Holsbeke, of SOM will present the High Line – Moynihan Connector project in New York City, a key piece in the transformation of Midtown West in New York City. Led by Empire State Development, Brookfield Properties, and Friends of the High Line, the Connector enhances pedestrian access, links key public spaces, and improves neighborhood connectivity—physically extending one of NYC’s most iconic public walkways.

Part of a broader effort that includes the redevelopment of Penn Station, the Moynihan Train Hall, and major mixed-use developments like Manhattan West and Hudson Yards, the Connector is the latest chapter in the district’s evolution into a vibrant, accessible urban destination.

This is SOM’s fourth major project in the area, following its work on Moynihan Train Hall, 35 Hudson Yards, and the master plan and design of Manhattan West—helping to reimagine a once-industrial zone into a thriving hub of civic life.

Kate Diamond of HDR Architecture will delve into the innovative design process behind the Mountain Line Downtown Connection Center in Flagstaff, Arizona—a vital new transit hub designed to improve connectivity across the city while honoring the character of its historic downtown.

Phase one of the project includes a new building and the continued use of the existing 11-bus bay connector. The design blends stone veneer, curtainwall, and metal paneling, with a striking back-lit art glass installation by Haddad-Drugan that reflects the region’s identity through layered imagery from Mountain Line’s logo.

Inside, the center offers a light-filled atrium with public amenities and dedicated spaces for Mountain Line staff, including operations, IT, and a large boardroom for future community use. Sustainable design is integral, featuring mass timber construction that reduces embodied energy by over 30% and a site elevated above the 100-year floodplain to ensure resilience. The project is on track for Gold Certification from the Coconino County Sustainable Building Program.

Rachel Usher of Mead & Hunt will present the Appleton International Airport Expansion, a thoughtful renovation of ATW’s commercial terminal designed to enhance the passenger experience while supporting sustainability and future growth.

Working closely with airport leadership, Mead & Hunt developed a comprehensive sustainability plan and provided architectural and engineering services for the expansion. Key design features promote community health and wellness, including a dedicated mother’s nursing room, bottle-filling water stations, and a striking “living wall” in the screening area designed to help reduce passenger stress.

To accommodate future demand, the design includes space for an additional security screening lane—made possible by relocating car rental services outside the terminal. A new restaurant and gift shop now anchor the reception lobby, creating a vibrant, open community space. Throughout the terminal, timeless, durable, and low-maintenance finishes contribute to a cohesive, welcoming environment.

Photo © Lucas Blair Simpson © SOM

The High Line - Moynihan Connector

Educated in Belgium, Kim Van Holsbeke, brings a European sensibility and a commitment to shaping a well crafted public realm to his design work. Since joining SOM in 2000, he has carried this thread through a number of the firm’s most significant projects, and has developed a holistic approach to the design of public-facing buildings and urban districts. At the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Maryland, Kim helped craft a highly sustainable campus that symbolizes the bureau’s values while accommodating a large and shifting workforce. More recently, Kim brought his approach to the Manhattan West development and High Line Connector, which together will form a welcoming extension of New York’s urban fabric and create new linkages between several neighborhoods. The same principles are driving 175 Park Avenue, a mixed-use tower adjacent to Grand Central Terminal that will be one of the most prominent new buildings in New York. As the designer leading the project, Kim shaped its striking design and significant public realm improvements, which include outdoor terraces and a skylit transit hall.

Katherine (Kate) Diamond , is HDR’s Civic Design Director and a Design Principal in the Los Angeles office. Kate brings a breadth of experience for translating the aspirations of a diversity of federal, state and local clients into beautiful, high performance, award-winning projects. She has led the design of multiple transportation projects for everything from paratransit to buses to light/subway/commuter/high speed and heavy rail, and even air traffic control towers! Her passion for sustainability and resilience helps demonstrate to clients that design can address the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental responsibility while meeting the unique requirements of their mission. Kate is on the Board of USGBC-LA, active on the AIA-LA COTE and gives guest lectures focused on regenerative design at USC and various schools of architecture across the country. Kate is an active GSA Design Excellence Peer and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture.

Rachel Usher, AIA LEED AP, Architect Mead & Hunt is HDR’s Civic Design Director and a Design Principal in the Los Angeles office. Kate brings a breadth of experience for translating the aspirations of a diversity of federal, state and local clients into beautiful, high performance, award-winning projects. She has led the design of multiple transportation projects for everything from paratransit to buses to light/subway/commuter/high speed and heavy rail, and even air traffic control towers! Her passion for sustainability and resilience helps demonstrate to clients that design can address the triple bottom line of social, economic and environmental responsibility while meeting the unique requirements of their mission. Kate is on the Board of USGBC-LA, active on the AIA-LA COTE and gives guest lectures focused on regenerative design at USC and various schools of architecture across the country. Kate is an active GSA Design Excellence Peer and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture.