Ricky McLain

California's Tallest Mass Timber Building Going up ↗

1510 Webster in Oakland, California is a unique, innovative and norm-breaking project on several fronts. Set to be the first prescriptive type IV-A project in the US, it will provide 18 stories and 222 on- and two-bedroom units along with ground floor retail. Using a point-supported MPP system with a column grid of 12 ft x 15 ft, it is realizing a $30 million cost savings over the traditional style of construction for a project of this scale.

By performing structural testing specific to this project, the design team was able to change from what would have typically been a 10 ft x 10 ft grid to the aforementioned 12x15 grid, reducing 47 columns per floor.

Andy Ball, Mike Baker, AIA, Danny Haber and the team at oWOW has a vision for providing housing for the missing middle in a practical, sustainable and cost-conscious way. While most developers leverage the aesthetic appeal of exposed mass timber as a market differentiator (for good reason) the oWOW team is also proving with this project that mass timber can still meet project needs and provide benefits if fully protected per the IV-A requirements. This again emphasizes the fact that mass timber is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Learn more about the 1510 Webster project on the WoodWorks Innovation Network here: https://lnkd.in/e9mnNYDS

Are you interested in learning about how mass timber can fit best in your project? Want to better understand the cost considerations? WoodWorks is a team of mass timber experts, and we provide free one-on-one technical design assistance. Reach out below 👇

https://lnkd.in/eRaXDnyy

#masstimber #architecture #structuralengineering #construction #affordablehousing

This is going to get raw

Family is more important than work

I received some devastating news last night. A close running friend of mine lost his wife to a courageous battle with cancer. She was 49. They had been married for 26 years.

I last saw my friend about a month ago to share some miles with him while he was running a backyard-style ultramarathon on his neighborhood streets as he was running 50 miles to celebrate his 50th birthday.

While the news wasn’t a big surprise, the finality of it hit me like a ton of bricks.

As someone who is quite driven in work pursuits and a professional career, I have all too often allowed these pursuits to get in the way of family priorities.

When I received the news last night at about 11 pm, I was up working, my wife and 5 kids had been asleep for a few hours. As I sat and reflected on the precious gift that life and loved ones are, it made me think back to a few evenings ago. I wrapped up a work call and my work day around 7:30 pm and walked out of my office to see my six-year-old son having fallen asleep - standing up - right outside of my office. He was patiently waiting for me to get done with work to play basketball with him. Dang. That's heavy.

I’m a very ambitious person. I know that a lot of you are too. I’m not suggesting that I work more than others. I know that the so-called work-life balance is something that so many of us struggle with. I am not going to use this horrible situation lightly and I hope that this is also a help to you, a reminder of the importance of family.

I recognize the need to make some very significant changes in my life to ensure that my family is now, and always will be, a priority. I know that more focus and efficiency while working can free up “after hours” to truly be family time. I also know that saying no is a muscle that needs to be built.

Does this recognition and pursuit then create a situation where we are not fully committed to our craft, to our profession?

Maybe, but I don’t think so.

It clarifies my why. I’m at a point in my life where I’ve never felt so incredibly motivated to attack new professional pursuits with a strong passion.

This is where the paradox lies. Doing well or being successful at work does not need to mean that endless work hours is the natural outcome of a calculated input.

I won’t accept that. You shouldn’t either.

How fleeting life is how. How precious life is. What a gift it is.

Take time out today. Call somebody, talk to somebody you love, leave them an unexpected note. Start a habit of being more present with them, of recognizing them and appreciating them and letting them know how important they are.

Mass timber and structural engineering are huge passions of mine, but they can’t be more important than my family and my faith. Doing so would waste the most precious gift.

Sorry for the gravity, but I felt compelled to share this. I hope it helps you.

Tomorrow, back to our regularly scheduled mass timber posts.