The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, in partnership with the architecture and design firm ISG, hosted the 2025 Arkansas Mass Timber Conference on Feb. 7-9 on the U of A campus.

As a national hub for mass timber design, construction and manufacturing, Arkansas became the ideal location for this conference that brought together more than 130 industry design professionals, academic researchers and manufacturers of mass timber systems and components.

Through this conference, the Fay Jones School and ISG educated and prepared attendees to utilize mass timber by highlighting the ways that mass timber is an emerging material with significant potential in the building industry. As populations grow and infrastructure demands increase, sustainable development will increasingly rely on this rapidly renewable resource. Beyond its environmental benefits, mass timber offers a unique aesthetic appeal and, in some circumstances, an opportunity to accelerate construction timelines.

"The Fay Jones School was pleased to partner with ISG and our alumnus Ryan King in this historic conference for the university, region and state," said Peter MacKeith, dean of the school. "Our commitment to advancing the state's forest- and wood product-centered economy through education, applied research and advocacy is well known. Working with industry partner ISG through this conference, we were able to advance these ambitions in even stronger ways, demonstrating to the nation that Arkansas truly sits at the epicenter of a national forest-centered economy."

"Our mission is to advance the mass timber movement in Arkansas and regionally to drive the future of sustainable building by exploring the use of local resources and manufacturing capacities, industry insights and trends, university research and innovative timber technologies," said Ryan King, ISG's Residential + Mixed-Use Business Unit Leader. "This conference proved to be a valuable opportunity to learn from experts, share ideas and prepare for the future of sustainable building practices."

Conference attendees and presenters came from the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, as well as academia, manufacturers, allied partners, elected officials and staff from the U of A and ISG. It helped bridge the gap between research and real-world application with keynote presentations from industry leaders, engaging breakout sessions and an opportunity to network with some of the top names in mass timber. Attendees — including Fay Jones School faculty and students — discovered the environmental benefits, expressive design potential and constructional advantages that mass timber has to offer.

Keynote speakers and their presentations were:

• Thomas Robinson, LEVER Architecture — "Regenerative Timber Architecture"
• Susan Jones, atelierjones — "Of Carbon, Forests, and Fire"
• Tom Chung, Leers Weinzapfel Associates — "Risk to Reward: Beauty, Craft, and Joy of Mass Timber"
• Robert Malczyk, Timber Engineering Inc. — "Competitive New Mass Timber Systems"
• Michael Green, MGA | Michael Green Architecture — "Mass Timber-How We Lead the (R)Evolution"

The conference also included tours of mass timber projects on the U of A campus: Adohi Hall, Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation, Library Annex and the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research.

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About ISG: ISG, a 100% Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) firm, has a rich history, which extends over 50 years of building trusting relationships with clients, stakeholders, and the community. As a full-service architecture, engineering, environmental, and planning firm with 500+ professionals in offices throughout Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Arkansas, ISG provides exceptional services, strategies, and guidance to a wide range of markets nationwide. To learn more about ISG, visit ISGInc.com.

About the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design: The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas houses undergraduate professional design programs of architecture, landscape architecture and interior architecture and design together with a liberal studies program. The school also offers a Master of Design Studies, with concentrations in health and wellness design, resiliency design, integrated wood design, and retail and hospitality design. The DesignIntelligence 2019 School Rankings Survey listed the school among the most hired from architecture, landscape architecture and interior design schools, ranking 10th, 14th and eighth, respectively, as well as 28th among most admired architecture schools.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.