Denver Mass Timber Office Opens New Market for Specialty Construction Trades
According to ENR, the $86 million T3 RiNo office building in Denver’s River North Art District has completed construction as the city’s first permitted Type IV-HT mass-timber office building. The six-story, 239,000-square-foot structure developed by Hines used exposed glulam columns and beams supporting cross-laminated timber floor panels, containing about 188,000 cubic feet of mass timber total.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Mass timber projects require specialized installation crews and equipment, creating potential opportunities for contractors willing to invest in training and tools for this growing construction method
- Denver’s 85-foot height limit for exposed timber buildings suggests more similar projects could follow, building a local market for mass timber specialists
- The complex engineering coordination between structural, MEP, and general trades on timber projects demands higher precision and communication standards that could command premium rates
