{"id":1004762888,"date":"2025-07-02T01:12:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T09:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/?p=1004762888"},"modified":"2025-07-02T01:12:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T09:12:06","slug":"innovation-hits-the-airwaves-inside-the-1st-mass-timber-broadcast-facility-in-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/innovation-hits-the-airwaves-inside-the-1st-mass-timber-broadcast-facility-in-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovation Hits the Airwaves: Inside the 1st Mass Timber Broadcast Facility in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Cincinnati<\/a>
For the Cincinnati Public Radio project, local architect Emersion DESIGN used glass windows both inside and out to maximize natural light. Image courtesy of Skanska<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood is now home to a development unlike any other in the country: a fully mass timber<\/a> broadcast facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Built by Skanska with cross-laminated timber components assembled in just over five weeks, the 35,000-square-foot Cincinnati Public Radio headquarters marks a premier in both design and delivery. The $32 million project is both the first modern mass timber building in the city and the first broadcast center in the U.S. built entirely from cross-laminated timber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recently delivered building houses two on-air studios, a podcast suite, a performance space and open offices\u2014all wrapped in a high-performance shell designed to meet tough acoustic and environmental needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skanska brought deep technical expertise to the project and coordinated closely with Emersion DESIGN, WSDG and Nordic Structures to deliver this first-of-its-kind facility. We asked Jeff Smoker, who served as project manager during construction and now works as preconstruction manager with the construction and development company, to take us behind the complex logistics, integrated sustainability and acoustic precision of this milestone project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why was mass timber the right fit for this particular project, as opposed to more conventional materials like steel or concrete?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"headshot<\/a>
Smoker applies the discipline and attention to detail he developed in the U.S. Marine Corps to his work in commercial real estate. His military background shaped his habit of taking ownership and stepping up to new challenges. Image courtesy of Skanska<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Smoker:<\/strong> When Skanska joined the Cincinnati Public Radio headquarters project<\/a>, mass timber had already been selected as the primary building material. Our expertise and proven track record with mass timber made Skanska a natural fit for this project. With over 23 mass timber projects completed across eight market sectors and more than 2.3 million square feet of mass timber installed, we were able to bring deep knowledge to ensure a successful project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mass timber offers several compelling advantages that make it an ideal choice over conventional materials like steel or concrete. It significantly accelerates construction schedules, as it requires less labor, fewer tools and reduced equipment onsite, allowing for faster assembly and lower overall build time. Mass timber is also a highly sustainable material. As a low-carbon resource, its use reduces the structure\u2019s carbon footprint compared to steel or concrete. The natural wood aesthetic is appealing and can be left intentionally unfinished, which not only adds unique character to the building but also eliminates the need for extra wall finishes, reducing costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Were there any site-specific or engineering constraints that made prefabricated timber components more suitable for this project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smoker:<\/strong> The project was located on a very tight site with limited access, there was only one way in and one way out. That made things tricky when it came to getting materials delivered and handled. That\u2019s where prefabricated timber really made sense. Because the timber elements were manufactured offsite and delivered ready to install, each delivery could be carefully scheduled as a single truck at a time, minimizing congestion and disruption on the site. This streamlined approach reduced the need for large staging areas or extensive onsite fabrication, which wouldn\u2019t have been feasible given the constrained space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any other technical and logistical challenges that you had to overcome to deliver the facility?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smoker:<\/strong> One of the biggest challenges we tackled was coordinating procurement and delivery of the mass timber across the border from Canada. The timber components were shipped from the manufacturing facility to a holding location where they cleared customs and then they were trucked straight to the job site for immediate offloading and erection. This meant everything had to be perfectly timed, from design approvals and material fabrication to the sequencing of deliveries, so that when a truck arrived, the teams could unload and start erecting right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If anything got held up at customs or deliveries fell out of sequence, it would throw off the whole schedule. Trucks would have had to wait until their materials were needed, which would have driven up costs. So, tight coordination and precise sequencing of deliveries were critical to keeping things running smoothly and avoiding delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, a common challenge when working with mass timber is moisture control. To address this, we prioritized rapid roof installation and invested in a complete reusable weather enclosure system for the building\u2019s exterior to minimize moisture impact on the finished product. After consulting with our Portland team, we chose the RWES system for moisture control as well as to retain the heat necessary for concrete pours and interior fit-out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike traditional 2x framing with reinforced plastic walls\u2014which are discarded at project completion\u2014the RWES system installs faster, performs better under high winds and rain and can be folded up and reused on subsequent projects. Additionally, it can be customized into assorted sizes to accommodate sloped roofs like Cincinnati Public Radio or to coordinate with the sequencing of exterior skin and curtain wall installation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n