September 2025

The SLB Generated 438 MM BF of Incremental Lumber Demand in Q2

The SLB’s recently published Q2 Report highlights its strategy to drive long-term demand for lumber through education, code advancements, project support, and compelling content—efforts that will protect, expand, and diversify markets. Continued industry support is essential to sustain this momentum and build on the measurable impact of the SLB’s programs to date.

Key Q2 highlights:

• SLB Education’s two faculty workshops this spring equipped 51 professors from 46 universities across 25 states with new tools to advance wood design education in architecture and engineering programs.
• WoodWorks has supported a variety of new student housing projects—a growth area for building with lumber—with WoodWorks on track to achieve 34 projects in the segment representing 6 million square feet of new construction.
• A new Think Wood case study of Africatown Plaza, a seven-story, 126-unit affordable housing project in Seattle, showcases light-frame construction’s affordability advantages.
• The American Wood Council’s leadership in the 2027 I-Code development process protected allowances for mass timber and helped develop new compliance pathways for lumber-based construction systems.
• The SLB’s Accelerator Cities program secured additional funding from the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities and is expecting to announce collaborations with several more cities in both 2025 and 2026.
• SLB investors across the country are speaking with a unified voice about why continued investment in the SLB matters. “The SLB has been a positive force pushing us forward and engaging in what is really important, which is growing our market share,” says Caroline Dauzat, Owner of Rex Lumber and Chair Emeritus of the SLB.

For full program updates and additional SLB news, view the Q2 2025 Report below. Feedback is always welcome at info@softwoodlumberboard.org.

The SLB’s Strategic Plan to Grow Light-Frame by +1.4 BBF Annually

The SLB’s Board of Directors has approved a new strategic plan that sets a bold target: 2.9 BBF in new annual lumber demand by 2035. The approach builds on existing momentum in high-growth segments—multifamily, affordable housing, education, offices, and warehouses—where lumber offers compelling economic and environmental value.

Nearly half of the projected growth—about 1.4 BBF (47%)—will come from light-frame construction, primarily in the multifamily segment. In particular, focusing on “Missing Middle” and affordable and attainable housing represents the most cost-effective and prudent path to incremental volume.

The “Missing Middle” applies to high-demand housing solutions ranging from single-family homes to high-density apartments, including duplexes, triplexes, and town homes—formats that are well suited for light-frame construction. Capitalizing on light-frame construction’s dominant position in the single-family segment by cross-promoting the inherent and widely accepted value propositions for light-frame and mass timber in multifamily one-to-eight-story buildings is a pragmatic investment for growth.

Lumber-based building systems also offer the most cost-effective and timely solution for affordable housing developers and practitioners. The application of both light-frame and hybrid light-frame/mass timber construction allows for shorter construction timelines, leading to interest expense savings and speed to rental revenue, ultimately increasing the net operating income for developers.

To deliver immediate investor return, the SLB will sharpen existing funded programs, initiatives, and partnerships to ensure the full value proposition for lumber is realized across these multifamily subsectors.

Industry Leaders Highlight Common Goals of North American Lumber Industry

The softwood lumber industry has made major progress in codes and standards and in growing the market for lumber-based constructions systems, but continuing investment is vital. Competitive material industries are eager to reclaim market share, and without continued industry support, hard-won gains could be lost.

To underscore the importance of this work, the SLB is spotlighting industry leaders, programs, and partners who are advancing market growth. This month, Brad Thorlakson, Executive Chairman of Tolko Industries, and George Emmerson, Board Chairman of Sierra Pacific Industries, highlight how producers throughout North America share a common passion for the sustainability and growth of our industry.

“If we’re going to compete with our large competitors in existing and new markets, we’re much better working together with the SLB using the AWC, Think Wood, and WoodWorks to build a strong foundation to grow our markets,” Thorlakson says. “If we didn’t have the SLB, I think at the end of the day we’d have a smaller market. We need to be aspirational as leaders of the industry to make sure that we keep this important work moving forward so that we can build out the industry’s full potential.”

“The SLB has brought our whole industry together for a common cause: growing demand for lumber,” Emmerson says. “It’s important to keep growing demand because competing materials are attempting to grow their market share through aggressive work in marketing and in the building codes. Through WoodWorks, Think Wood, the AWC, and Education, the SLB has allowed us to fight back against the competition with measurable results for growing lumber demand.”

Expect more insights from industry leaders and partners as the SLB continues to spotlight efforts to expand and protect lumber’s market share.

The SLB Backs Global Framework to Increase Lumber Demand

Built by Nature’s Principles for Responsible Timber Construction is a first-of-its-kind global framework to ensure building with wood benefits climate, nature, and people. The Principles provide a clear and structured foundation that cities and governments can use to integrate timber construction into climate strategies and building codes.

“Lumber stands at the heart of building a low-carbon, circular economy,” says SLB President and CEO Cees de Jager, who endorsed the Principles on behalf of the SLB. “These Principles directly support our mission: replacing fossil-based materials with sustainable wood solutions that drive innovation, market diversification, and economic growth. Responsible construction with lumber delivers more than environmental benefits—it’s an intelligent, scalable pathway to building the accessible and affordable spaces where we live, work, and play across America and around the world.”

The SLB joins the AWC and more than 200 organizations ranging from forest managers and manufacturers to investors, architects, and engineers in endorsing the Principles, signaling growing momentum for wood construction as a low-carbon building solution. Learn more about the Principles and see the full list of endorsers here.

Student Competitions Inspire the Next Generation of Designers

What if the first time a future architect designs attainable housing, a lumber-based solution isn’t an afterthought—but the starting point? That idea drives Timber in the City: Urban Habitats, now launching its sixth cycle in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).

This national competition continues to be one of SLB Education’s most impactful platforms for engaging future architects, showcasing lumber’s possibilities and embedding the material into the thinking of tomorrow’s design leaders. Over five cycles and 10 years, nearly 3,500 students from 95 unique schools—representing two-thirds of all accredited architecture programs in North America—have participated. Each design brief challenges students to rethink urban housing, resilience, and sustainability, making lumber central to solutions for pressing societal needs. This year’s competition focuses on attainable housing at three different scales, a format designed to appeal broadly to faculty and integrate seamlessly into architectural curricula.

Academic competitions, part of the SLB’s broader strategy to engage postsecondary students, reinforce a critical principle of the Education program: the greatest leverage point is upstream of practice, with students and their professors. Architects and engineers who learn about wood early will be less likely to avoid specifying it later. By engaging them in their formative years, we ensure they leave school already familiar with lumber’s properties, its versatility and beauty, and its economic and sustainable benefits.

Other material industries have long recognized the power of student engagement—the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) has sponsored its Steel Competition annually for 25 years—so the SLB’s investment ensures that wood not only keeps pace but also stands out with design challenges rooted in urgency and possibility.

Competitions and experiences that nurture students’ instinct toward natural materials—and arm them with the knowledge to overcome bias—are more than academic exercises. They are catalysts for change, equipping the next generation of AEC professionals to imagine and realize lumber as a primary solution in the built environment. Without them, the lumber industry would lose one of its most powerful levers for long-term growth. With them, the industry’s investment compounds—expanding the pipeline of emerging professionals with knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, lumber solutions.

The AWC’s Comprehensive Engagement Protects Lumber Industry on Wildfire Issues

The AWC’s swift and effective actions following California’s tragic fires earlier this year underscore years of preparation and collaboration. The AWC is well equipped and able to draw on testing and data, as well as recently adopted codes, to help prevent unwarranted bans of lumber. As wildfire issues, including wildland-urban interface, expand to other regions of the country, the AWC will continue these efforts in earnest.

Over the past few years, the AWC has conducted a series of WUI fire tests, using widely recognized performance-based protocols to demonstrate the fire resistance of wood structures. The data from these tests has been an important tool that demonstrates the safety, code compliance and fire resistance of wood products.

The AWC’s ability to respond quickly in California was built on multiple years of engagement with the state’s code development process and fire service. The AWC’s work and education around the California WUI code and strong relationship with the fire service meant that many building and fire service officials already knew of the state’s new WUI code and were able to speak to the importance of building to code instead of pressing for unwarranted material bans.

Beyond California, AWC has also been deeply involved in the development of the 2027 International Wildland Urban Interface Code and the International Code Council 605 Standard for Residential Construction in Regions with Wildfire Hazard, both of which will have significant implications for building code requirements in WUI zones. The AWC’s approach to these processes is to actively support proven techniques, such as maintaining adequate defensible space, providing for multiple fire zones, and performance-based materials testing that ensure wood products are not unfairly treated.

To further align the sector on these complex issues, the AWC and the Working Forests Initiative have released a new wildfire messaging guide, Wildfire Mitigation: Strategy and Values in Action. By keeping the sector aligned, the guide helps protect credibility, reinforce key messages, and amplifies the industry’s voice in wildfire policy and public conversations. Download the guide here.

WoodWorks’ Mid-Year Report Shows Gains Toward Long-Term Market Growth

Among SLB-funded programs, WoodWorks has the unique mission of working directly with developers and design/construction teams to foster a shift toward wood solutions. Read WoodWorks’ Mid-Year Report to learn how the strategic combination of project support, education, and technical resources is enabling practitioners to expand their use of wood in commercial and multifamily buildings across the United States.

Think Wood’s Residential Resources Demonstrate Lumber’s Applications—in Homes and Beyond

Think Wood’s resources in the single-family residential market play a vital role in protecting and growing market share for lumber. Case studies help residential contractors visualize additional uses for wood products in homes beyond framing and decking. They also help commercial audiences understand the applications possible with wood that they can use in their own projects, as single-family homes have long been considered a laboratory for design innovation in the building industry.

Residential case studies are also some of Think Wood’s most popular stories across all audience sectors, helping to increase engagement. That engagement translates to market impact: A survey showed that 72% of highly engaged users (+11% from last year) said that interaction with Think Wood increased their likelihood of specifying wood.

Recent stories underscore the breadth of Think Wood’s coverage. A contemporary prefab light-frame model designed for tech startup Aro Homes by renowned architecture firm Olson Kundig highlights how factory-based construction can reduce project timelines and embodied carbon. A profile of nArchitects’ CLT House showcases both innovative uses of CLT and the beauty of exposed wood on the interior and exterior of the home. And a list of five beautiful wooden waterfront homes provides inspiration for how builders can use a variety of lumber products to create stunning visual appeal. 

Together, these resources don’t just spotlight residential design—they also strengthen lumber’s position across all building types by reinforcing its versatility, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal.

WoodWorks Helps Architecture Firm With Complex Type III Light-Frame Design

Each month, the SLB features a new wood project resulting from the programs it funds. This month highlights WoodWorks’ support for a complex five-over-two light-frame design for a multifamily project—a segment that represents 1.2 BBF of potential annual incremental demand through 2035, according to Forest Economic Advisors.

As with many projects, support for this unique mixed-use development came about via WoodWorks education. Architect Aisling Burke of Ten Over Studio attended a WoodWorks webinar and workshop, both topics focusing on light-frame wood design, before requesting a lunch-and-learn on fire-resistant design and detailing from her local Regional Director. Burke and her colleagues were designing a five-over-two light-frame project that included both a Santa Cruz Downtown Public Library and affordable housing.

This was Burke’s first Type III building, and it was more complex than those previously undertaken by the firm. The RD reviewed the initial drawings and assisted on topics such as exterior floor-to-wall detailing, char calculations, and requirements for an occupied roof deck. He also shared resources on larger light-frame projects, including information the team could give building officials, who were unfamiliar with the DCA-3 detailing approach. The 273,000-square-foot Santa Cruz project held a groundbreaking ceremony in August and is projected to use 13.9 bf/sq. ft.

“WoodWorks was incredibly helpful in navigating complex fire rating scenarios on this project, given that it was the largest project at the time to go through the jurisdiction’s permit review process,” Burke said. “The Regional Director walked me through the intricacies of fire science, which equipped me to engage in a productive interpretation discussion with the jurisdiction, ultimately leading to a successful resolution.”