Teulo Talks / Mass Timber Tom Chung

“This session features a recording from Tom Chung’s visit to New Zealand in June, presented as part of a live webinar.”

Synopsis: Mass timber is no longer an experiment — it’s a movement reshaping how architecture is imagined, delivered, and experienced.

In this keynote,Tom S. Chung of Leers Weinzapfel Associateswill explore how engineered timber has evolved from emerging material to transformational construction system, and how it is redefining sustainability, craft, and human-centred design.

Drawing on globally recognised projects including the Olver Design Building, Adohi Hall, the Environmental Education Center, and the forthcoming National Conservation Legacy Center, Tom will unpack how advances in design thinking, fabrication, and delivery are enabling a new generation of buildings that are lighter on the planet and richer for the people who inhabit them.

He’ll also share candid lessons from nearly a decade of pioneering mass timber work — revealing what has changed, what has improved, and what architects need to understand to confidently lead the next wave of timber projects.

Key learning outcomes:

• How mass timber has evolved over the past decade from innovation to essential building strategy.
• Real-world insights into designing for sustainability, constructability, and long-term performance.
• Lessons from award-winning projects that integrate structure, materiality, and human experience.
• Practical frameworks for delivering complex timber buildings with clarity and confidence.
• An understanding of how fabrication technology and collaboration are shaping the future of timber architecture.
• Inspiration to rethink how buildings can be designed to better serve people, place, and planet.

BIO: Tom S. Chung, is a Principal at Leers Weinzapfel Associates, in Boston - internationally recognised for design excellence, material innovation, and leadership in sustainable architecture.

Tom has led award-winning projects that have helped redefine the possibilities of engineered timber construction, which he’ll share many examples of today - these projects have become global benchmarks for how mass timber can deliver buildings that are more sustainable, more humane, and more beautifully crafted.