Back in 2019, when Columbia Property Trust was mulling how to increase the height of its existing 90-ft, seven-story, concrete-framed office building at 80 M St. SE in Washington, D.C., it chose a mass timber frame over a steel frame for an addition atop the oldest high-rise in the Navy Yard neighborhood. That was a ground-breaking choice. It would mean that the facility would be D.C.’s first mass timber commercial office building.
Columbia Property Trust Turns to Mass Timber for Sustainable Development
When Columbia Property Trust Inc. wanted to expand an office building in the Navy Yard submarket in Washington, D.C., the REIT was keen to generate excitement for the property and demonstrate its commitment to sustainability. The company turned to one of the world’s oldest building materials—wood—to achieve both.