MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2023
Real estate investment and management firm Jamestown announced at the end of last month that work is now underway for a four-story mass timber loft office building in Atlanta.
Vertical construction recently began on 619 Ponce, which is being constructed with local, Georgia-grown timber and targeting net neutral operational carbon.
About the Project
The building will include 85,000 square feet of office space and 25,000 square feet of retail space, located at Ponce City Market. Amenities will also reportedly feature onsite daycare and medical facilities, direct access to the Atlanta BeltLine, bike storage, and complimentary access to The Roof at Ponce City Market.
Outdoor space will be available on every level, in addition to the building’s biophilic design, which will feature natural wood columns and ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows with operable panels.
Jamestown reports that 619 Ponce is part of Ponce City Market’s next phase, which includes a flexible-stay hospitality living building and Signal House, a multi-family rental building designed for active adults and the over 55 community.
Handel Architects is the Design Architect and Architect of Record for the project, which has been designed to target net neutral operational carbon, LEED Core & Shell certification, and Fitwel certification.
Developers are taking pride in the fact 619 Ponce will be built from Georgia-grown mass timber and a regional supply chain, a first for this type of construction in Georgia.https://t.co/nxnXie2Ah9
— Offsite Construction Network (@Offsite_Network) March 2, 2023
As part of this, it aims to leverage best practices for material specification, including carbon reduction and local sourcing materials from within 100 miles where possible.
According to the developer, most timber for mass timber construction is currently sourced from Canada, Austria or Germany. However, for this project, they are utilizing timber sourced and produced locally—a first for mass timber construction in Georgia.
“Mass timber is the future of sustainable development, and the future of mass timber is locally sourced,” said Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown. “619 Ponce will help redefine sustainable mass timber construction in the Southeast, providing developers and architects with a clear path forward for using local timber.”
The Georgia Forestry Foundation says that the state is particularly well positioned as a leader in forest product manufacturing and sustainable forest management, with two-thirds of the state’s land area covered in forests.
“Ponce City Market has been a beacon of sustainable redevelopment for Atlanta and the State of Georgia,” said Andres Villegas, President and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Foundation. “Jamestown is leading the way again with our state’s first Georgia-grown mass timber project, showcasing the ability of Georgia’s working forests to capture carbon and sustainably support the needs of a growing state.”
Jamestown noted in the press release that the building’s columns, beams and floor slabs are made of local southern yellow pine sawtimber harvested from Georgia forests, including from timberland Jamestown owns and sustainability manages near Columbus, Georgia.
The sawtimber was then transported to Georgia-Pacific’s sawmill in Albany, Georgia, to be converted into lumber. Afterwards, it was sent to SmartLam’s mass timber plant in Dothan, Alabama, where it was manufactured into cross laminated timber (CLT) panels.
The CLT panels will be erected onsite at Ponce City Market by StructureCraft and J.E. Dunn, with building completion expected in 2024.
Tagged categories: Building Envelope; Building materials; Carbon footprint; Construction; Contracts; cross-laminated timber; Design; Good Technical Practice; Green building; Office Buildings; Ongoing projects; Program/Project Management; Projects - Commercial; Retail; Retail; Sustainability; timber
