Light on Wood: Mass Timber Architecture

Timber is a renewable, natural material that creates warm, welcoming spaces that offer an emotional quality to their users. Light on Wood is a personal story about an architect’s relationship with nature, and how it directed her firm’s work designing with mass timber. Architect and author Susan H. Jones, founder of the pioneering practice of atelierjones in Seattle, shares stories of how her firm worked to decarbonize our built environment. Its collaborative research on the behavior of wood contributed to much-needed changes in the U.S. building code. Light on Wood reveals atelierjones’ circular approach of design, building, research, policy, through a selected review of its projects. Projects shown include the Marian Chapel in Seattle, the First Congregational Church in Bellevue, Washington, and the Roundhouse in Greenville, California, for the people of the MaiduPractical, hands-on survey with many details and construction photosLavishly illustrated and attractive cloth-bound volume“Light on Wood is a terrific combination of science, policy, technology, economics, and design, clearly demonstrating how design intersects with all of those areas. And the beautiful work and hand drawings make these connections accessible and engaging.”  Sarah M. Whiting, Dean, Josep Lluís Sert Professor of Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design

• Publication date: 31 October 2025
• Page count: 316
• Dimensions: Height 280 mm; Width 190 mm
• Publisher: Birkhauser
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9783035629903