Cost-effective, code-compliant and sustainable, mid-rise wood construction is gaining the attention of developers and design professionals, who see it as a way to achieve higher density housing at lower cost—while reducing the carbon footprint of their projects. Yet, many familiar with wood construction for two- to four-story residential structures are not aware that the International Building Code (IBC) allows five stories of wood-frame construction in building occupancies that include multi-family, military, senior, student and affordable housing—and six stories for business.

“Once designers know that wood offers all the required safety and structural performance capabilities and meets code requirements for mid-rise, the most appealing feature of wood tends to be its price,” says Michelle Kam-Biron, P.E., S.E., director of education for the American Wood Council. “Multi-family housing was one of the first market segments to rebound from the recession—because it's more affordable than single-family housing while offering advantages such as less upkeep and, in most cases, closer proximity to amenities. Wood construction is attractive for multi-family projects because it offers a high percentage of rentable square footage at a relatively low cost, but its benefits are equally applicable to other occupancy types.”

Among their benefits, wood buildings typically offer faster construction and reduced installation costs. For example, after completing the first phase of a developer-funded five-story student housing project using steel construction, OKW Architects in Chicago switched to wood. “The 12-gauge steel panels were expensive, very heavy and difficult to install; and welding and screwing the shear strap bracing was very time consuming,” says project architect Eileen Schoeb. “Using wood was far more economical for the second phase.”

For the three-building, five-story Crescent Terminus development in Atlanta's upscale Buckhead district, wood framing helped to achieve overall budget goals. “From a design standpoint, we were able to use wood to introduce a fresh, contemporary aesthetic to a mid-rise multi-level development,” says architect Erik Brock of Lord Aeck Sargent. “By saving on the framing and speed of construction, Crescent Communities was able to deliver a higher-quality finished product for their tenants by putting more into the amenity package as well as landscaping, finishes and character of the residential units.”

Wood construction also offers advantages for project teams seeking green building certification or simply to reduce the environmental impact of their buildings. Wood grows naturally and is renewable, and life cycle assessment studies consistently show that wood offers environmental advantages in terms of embodied energy, air and water pollution, and other impact indicators.¹