WASHINGTON —  A symposium touting the construction and environmental sustainability of tall wooden buildings through the use of products such as Cross Laminated Timber, will be held in Chicago in November.

The symposium “Toward Taller Wood Buildings,” hosted by WoodWorks – Wood Products, will be held Nov. 6 and 7. The event will provide “a practical perspective on North America’s evolution toward taller wood buildings.”

The symposium coincides with the U.S. Tall Wood Building Prize Competition announced by the White House Rural Council and United States Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Softwood Lumber Board and Binational Softwood Lumber Council. The competition is open to architects, engineers, and developers whi will showcase the “architectural and commercial viability of advanced wood products like Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) in tall buildings.” Products like CLT are flexible, strong, and fire resistant. In construction, wood products can be used as a successful and sustainable alternative to concrete, masonry, and steel, the White House said when announcing the competition.

Constructing high rise buildings is possible with the use of CLTs and the advances in adhesives.

The symposium will focus on how designers are already increasing density at lower cost by designing taller mid-rise buildings under the International Building Code. Presentations will feature tall wood buildings, including projects 10-14 stories that are operational or under construction in various parts of the world.

The USDA will host a question and answer session related to the competition during the symposium’s on-site registration period on November 5, from 4 to 5 p.m. The symposium will be held over Nov. 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 7 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $125.