EVERETT, WA- The Forterra-led Forest to Home initiative reveals the first all-Cross Laminated Timber
(CLT) modular prototype in the United States in the quest to bring a more sustainable and attainable
solution to housing.
CLT, a subset of Mass Timber, is a safe and durable building material broadly used in central and
northern Europe. While CLT is becoming widely used and known, this is the first use of all-CLT in
modular construction in the United States. These all-CLT modular homes are at the center of the Forest
to Home initiative which yields a triple bottom line solution to affordable housing bringing about
environmental sustainability, economic development and social equity.
“We are re-connecting the well-being of people and nature,” said Michelle Connor, President and CEO of
Forterra. “With Mass Timber, we can sequester carbon, produce clean water and build cost-effectively –
through good rural jobs and homes priced for working families.”
In partnership with a leading timber construction and manufacturing company from Switzerland, Zaugg
AG Rohrbach, the all-CLT modular prototype was assembled, plumbed, and furnished in just 22 days.
The construction and assembly time will take only three hours once production is up and running at a
steady state. “The use of Modular CLT has the potential to replace more carbon-intensive building
practices,” said Tobias Levey, Vice President of Transactions at Forterra. “Compared to traditional
building practices this model can be successful because the work is performed in the safer, climate controlled environment of the factory, therefore the time and cost to build these modular homes is significantly reduced.”
The Forest to Home initiative creates local affordable housing through a vertical supply chain- starting
with the forest. Conservation harvested timber supports the health and longevity of the forests while a
centralized innovation center in the timber town of Darrington will house the Mass Timber and modular
production facilities, creating high-tech living- wage jobs in an emerging, high-tech industry. At the same
location, the modular homes are fully assembled and appointed to buyer specifications. The beautiful,
customized high-quality affordable modular homes are then delivered to urban and rural communities
at a lower price point than a traditional build due to the supply chain innovations. The endeavor thereby
achieves the triple bottom line of environmental sustainability, economic development and social
equity.
“As a timber town, we are excited to be the innovation hub for this emerging high-tech wood products
industry,” said Town of Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin. “The Darrington Wood Innovation Center will
spread economic diversity throughout our region by creating 122 new jobs that require a wide spectrum
of skillsets and will allow folks to carry-on our legacy trades while adapting to modern technologies.”
“We know that we must support innovation in order to build a strong economy for all areas of our
county,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “We must also ensure that we are protecting
our beautiful natural environment so that we can have strong, resilient communities. The Forest to
Home initiative and the Darrington Wood Innovation Center transform a traditional timber industry into
a high-tech wood products industry, bringing sustainable high-tech jobs to our rural communities,
Snohomish County, and the Pacific Northwest.”
“The City of Everett is committed to building a greener future and supporting innovative and sustainable
housing solutions,” said City of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. “Forterra is doing a great service to our
residents, rural economies and our environment by spearheading modern solutions to housing and
environmental issues with CLT and ModPro.”
Forterra currently has four all-CLT large-scale modular projects under way in Washington cities of
Tacoma, Tukwila, Hamilton and Roslyn. All of these projects and future Forest to Home projects will be
built at the Darrington Wood Innovation Center, a $115 million 93.6-acre cutting edge facility which
breaks ground in 2022 in Darrington, Washington.
CONTACT
Heidi Taffera
Managing Director of External Relations, Forterra
htaffera@forterra.org
425-269-9981
ABOUT FORTERRA
Forterra is an unconventional land trust that works across Washington’s communities and landscapes, from the ranches and shrub-steppe of the Yakima basin, to the estuaries, farms and forests of Washington’s coast, reaching more than 100 counties, cities, towns and rural communities. Working cooperatively with people and nature, Forterra drives land stewardship, management and planning; innovative programs and policies; farming and forestry approaches; community ownership opportunities; and development solutions.
To learn more about Forterra’s conservation efforts, visit forterra.org.
