Will mass timber building 'topple' current world tallest?

The Edison might someday wear the crown of the largest mass-timber building in the world.

Photo By The Neutral Project

MILWAUKEE — A 32-story, mass timber hi-rise in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is scheduled to break ground in the second quarter of 2024 and, when, or if, completed, the Edison is “on track to become the tallest mass timber building in the world.”

If completed, the building would dislodge the Ascent, also in Milwaukee, that in July 2022 was crowned by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat as being the tallest mass-timber building in the world

The mixed-use tower, a hybrid timber and concrete structure, being developed by The Neutral Project, a real estate building firm focusing on sustainable building, measures 493,000-square-feet, and rises 25 stories.  The structure will have post-tensioned concrete on levels one through eight; levels eight through 32 will feature mass-timber hybrid construction, according to Finance and Commerce magazine.

The Edison, which caters to the high-end luxury housing market in Milwaukee, leverages Mass Timber technology and is targeting Passive House (Phius) certification. Phius is a non-profit organization committed to decarbonizing the built environment by making high-performance passive building the mainstream market standard.

The Edison apartment structure was initially planned as a 15-story building with around 200 units overlooking the Milwaukee River, but revised plans doubled the size of the building. A completion date has been reported to be either 2025 or 2027.

.

Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Profile picture for user larryadams
About the author
Larry Adams | Editor

Larry Adams is a Chicago-based writer and editor who writes about how things get done. A former wire service and community newspaper reporter, Larry is an award-winning writer with more than three decades of experience. In addition to writing about woodworking, he has covered science, metrology, metalworking, industrial design, quality control, imaging, Swiss and micromanufacturing . He was previously a Tabbie Award winner for his coverage of nano-based coatings technology for the automotive industry. Larry volunteers for the historic preservation group, the Kalo Foundation/Ianelli Studios, and the science-based group, Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST).