Municipal Timber: Reducing Embodied Carbon in our Cities through Code Change

Kenneth Bland has been employed by the American Wood Council and its predecessor organizations since 1988, initially working as the Northeast Regional Manager for the National Forest Products Association. For most of his career with AWC, he managed a staff of 8 code experts that represent the wood industry in the development and adoption of model codes and standards. In 2010, he was promoted to AWC Vice President of Codes and Regulations. Beginning in 2015, his team led the effort to introduce tall mass timber buildings into US model building codes. In 2022, he semi- retired and continues part-time with AWC as a Fire Protection Engineer.

Ken spent 5 years in building code administration and enforcement, serving first as a building inspector and then as a building official in Keene, NH. He holds a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering (B.A.E.) in structures from the Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is a registered professional engineer.

Michael M. Moore is the principal of Tres Birds, the innovative Denver architecture firm that has risen to prominence since he founded it in 2000. Known as visionary who seamlessly integrates architecture and art with environmentally-sound methods, Moore’s transformative work exemplifies his belief that architecture can create a better world. Moore and his firm’s multidisciplinary design approach can be found in more than 100 projects ranging from mixed-use developments and corporate headquarters to net-zero energy homes and museums across the U.S. and internationally. Consistently, Moore utilizes unexpected building materials to create dynamic results, often repurposing discarded wood and metal into new and beautiful structures. He is currently working on the design of Denver’s first mass timber high rise.

His commitment to sustainability is broad and deep. “Utilizing energy from the sun and reducing fossil fuel use is the basis of everything we do. That’s why I started Tres Birds,” he says. “Every project is an opportunity to create symbiotic relationships between humans and natural systems.”In addition to projects nationally and internationally, Moore has designed more than 35 buildings in Denver and 28 in Boulder, and currently works with Denver Public Arts helping to realize some of the city’s most outstanding public art projects. Tres Birds garnered accolades in 2022 for their elevated walkway at Arkins Promenade in the RiNo district of Denver, drawing national recognition from media including The Architect’s Newspaper, Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, and Fast Company.

O’Hara is facade director for the Skins Group, a division of Studio NYL, established to provide full service facade design specializing in thermal modeling, moisture/condensation analysis, and in-depth detailing. Although Studio NYL is recognized for its skins work with cutting-edge glass and glazing, their team also specializes in digitally fabricated metal skins, GFRC, reinforced polymers, stone, ultra high performance concrete, terra cotta, and traditional precast. O’Hara is currently working on multiple projects in the Boston area.

Jordan Komp, P.E., S.E. joined Thornton Tomasetti in 2010, after receiving his combined M.S./B.S. from Marquette University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Wisconsin and Structural Engineer in Illinois. Jordan’s design and project management experience encompass a variety of building types, including mid-rise to supertall buildings, long-span structures, and mass timber construction. Jordan was a key contributor to several of the firms most iconic jobs and has been responsible for the design and construction of multiple projects throughout the Midwest and internationally. He is also an accredited IBC Mass Timber Special Inspector. Jordan was named one of ENR Midwest’s 2018 Top Young Professionals, and is currently a member of the SEI/ASCE Tall Buildings Committee, as well as a founding member of ACE Milwaukee; serving as a mentor to high school students interested in the architecture, construction, and engineering industry

Marty Wood is the Program Director for The Architect’s Newspaper’s Facades+ Conferences and other AN events and initiatives that bring together AEC professionals to share their stories, expertise, and projects. As a writer, he’s contributed to The Architect’s Newspaper, Metropolis, and other design publications. He is also a visiting instructor at Pratt Institute. Wood has a BA in Communications from San Francisco State University and a M.S. from Columbia University GSAPP.