Mass Timber, Offsite Construction, and Other Sustainable Building Practices: Q&A with ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ’s Lisa Podesto
Lisa Podesto, the new director of mass timber and construction innovation at ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ, has long been enthralled by the opportunity mass timber presents for the built world. With over 15 years of experience with the material, Lisa’s journey into mass timber began at the intersection of her interests in sustainable design and innovative construction technologies.
“I became captivated [in 2009] by a 9-story mass timber project in London:Â Stadthaus designed by Waugh Thistleton Architects,” she recalls. “It was then that I began immersing myself into mass timber, collecting information and developing relationships with designers and industry abroad to translate the project experiences, ideas and solutions to a U.S. context.”
Today, Podesto is published as a peer reviewer and author of the first U.S. CLT Handbook (2012), coinciding with the first U.S.-based cross-laminated timber (CLT) production launch. Since then, she has held roles in early project integration in markets where wood was not a typical material choice, such as high-rise buildings and projects for the U.S. Department of Defense, and roles in development and construction aiming to influence project success and advance market adoption more directly.
In a wide-ranging interview, below, Podesto shares some of her extensive knowledge about the innovative material. Responses edited for clarity.
