2024 Timber Framers Guild Conference

Sandra Lupien

MassTimber@MSU, Director

Sandra Lupien leads MassTimber@MSU, advancing sustainable mass timber construction and manufacture in Michigan, the Great Lakes Region, and beyond. Through this program, based at Michigan State University, Sandra collaborates with interdisciplinary faculty members, industry partners, policymakers, NGOS, tradespersons, and others on a diverse array of programs and initiatives that are resulting in significant mass timber momentum. Sandra hosts and co-produces with Michigan Department of Natural Resources the Michigan Mass Timber Update, an annual convening of mass timber stakeholders from a variety of sectors across the state. She is a frequent mass timber speaker at conferences and in media coverage across the United States and internationally.

Sandra became obsessed with mass timber while pursuing a mid-career Master of Public Policy at University of California, Berkeley, where she produced her capstone titled Removing Barriers to Cross-Laminated Timber Manufacture and Adoption in California: A Game-Changer for Wildfire, Forests, and Climate Change.

Immediately prior to joining MSU, Sandra served as a Deputy Director in the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, after serving in policy, communication, and engagement leadership roles in the non-profit and public sectors for nearly two decades.

www.canr.msu.edu/masstimber

Presentation

Mass Timber: Its Momentum is Growing. What Does That Mean for Timber Framing?
Mass timber construction and manufacture are both growing in North America, but these engineered wood products are still far from mainstream. Sandra Lupien and George Berghorn will discuss the growing mass timber momentum in Michigan and the US, some common barriers to adoption, and the complementary nature of mass timber and timber framing.