Mass Timber at Scale: Insights from the Amazon Logistics Facility Panel at IMTC

priscila.novaes@sterlingsolutions.com (Priscila Tammaro Novaes) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:13:54 GMT

At this year’s International Mass Timber Conference, Sterling Structural’s Director of Design, Sidney Filippis, joined a panel discussion highlighting one of the most impactful mass timber industrial projects in North America — Amazon’s Delivery Station DII5 in Elkhart, Indiana.

Warehouses aren’t typically known for their beauty, but this project challenges that expectation. Designed using sustainably-sourced, domestically-manufactured TerraLam® cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels, the facility demonstrates how industrial buildings can be both highly functional and visually compelling — bringing warmth, daylight, and biophilic elements into a traditionally utilitarian space.

Manufactured at Sterling Structural’s Phoenix, Illinois, facility, the project incorporated over 1,100 CLT panels made from 100% U.S.-sourced sustainable Southern Pine, showcasing the scalability of mass timber in large-format industrial applications. The building integrates CLT wall systems alongside hybrid structural components and optimized grid layouts, reinforcing how timber can work seamlessly within high-performance structural systems.
A key theme throughout the panel discussion was the importance of early collaboration across the project team. From design through fabrication and installation, close coordination enabled the team to meet complex structural and architectural requirements — including natural lighting-driven features such as skylights and large-span applications — while maintaining efficiency and constructability.

Beyond performance, the project highlights the role of mass timber in advancing sustainability goals. By replacing more carbon-intensive materials with renewable timber, the facility contributes to a significant reduction in embodied carbon while supporting a healthier and more engaging built environment.

And beyond sustainability, the use of Mass Timber was part of a larger biophilic design strategy to create an optimal work experience. By connecting occupants to their natural surroundings, from the biodiversity of the site, to the wood used in the building, to the indoor-outdoor connections, the design creates a pleasant work environment. Such biophilic designs have been shown to increase productivity, reduce stress, and boost overall workplace health.

Projects like Amazon DII5 signal a shift in the industry — proving that mass timber is not only viable for industrial construction, but scalable, efficient, and ready for broader adoption.

As the conversation at IMTC made clear, this is just the beginning.

Structural Blog

Mass Timber at Scale: Insights from the Amazon Logistics Facility Panel at IMTC