TallWood Design Institute

What TallWood Design Institute does

TallWood Design Institute (TDI) is a non-profit research and education institute founded in 2014 through a collaboration between Oregon State University and University of Oregon, headquartered in Corvallis, Oregon at the A.A. 'Red' Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory. TDI unites faculty across architecture, structural engineering, and wood science to advance mass timber and wood building solutions through applied research programs covering fire performance, moisture durability, seismic and structural performance, manufacturing and supply chain, design innovation, and sustainability. Its research portfolio includes cross-laminated timber (CLT), mass plywood panels (MPP), tubular veneer technology, non-destructive testing methods, and NSF-funded seismic shake-table research.

The institute operates a diversified revenue model combining federal and state grant funding (notably a $41.4M EDA Build Back Better award through the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, an NSF Engines Development Award, and USDA Forest Service support), REACTS Consortium membership dues from 22+ industry members across AEC and manufacturing, professional R&D consulting and testing services through the Emmerson Lab, and education programs including an asynchronous online Certificate Program in Mass Timber Manufacturing and Construction ($500 full program / $150 per course) and subsidized hands-on Design/Fabricate/Build workshops. TDI's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by the annual Mass Timber Research & Design Innovation Symposium, International Mass Timber Conference research showcases, and the Critical Mass (Timber) monthly meetups. It was designated as the Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub by the EDA in 2023 and is a Round 2 finalist for $220M federal implementation funding.

Name

TallWood Design Institute

Legal name

TallWood Design Institute

Website

https://tallwoodinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

TallWood Design Institute is a non-profit research and education institute, jointly operated by Oregon State University and University of Oregon, that advances mass timber building solutions through applied research, industry consortium membership, R&D testing services, and certificate programs serving AEC professionals and manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Mass Timber Research and Education Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass Timber & Structural Engineered Wood (CLT, Glulam, NLT/DLT) (IMADADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Mass timber research
• Wood building science
• Structural testing services
• Timber engineering education
• Applied wood research

Headquarters

HQ city

Corvallis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Grant Funding: Major funding from Economic Development Administration ($41.4M Build Back Better award), National Science Foundation (NSF Engines Development Award), and USDA Forest Service. These grants support applied R&D, sustainable forestry, modular manufacturing, and affordable housing initiatives.
2. REACTS Consortium Membership: Industry-led research consortium with membership dues from companies throughout the mass timber supply chain. Members include architectural/engineering firms and manufacturers. Members receive 18 months of exclusive access to research data before public release.
3. Education Programs and Certificates: Certificate Program in Mass Timber Manufacturing and Construction ($500 full program, $150 per individual course). Online courses delivered through Oregon State University's Canvas platform covering mass timber products, manufacturing, construction, and QA/QC.
4. R&D Consulting and Testing Services: Consultation, fabrication, and testing services for public and private partners. Includes pre-certification testing, product performance characterization, and collaborative R&D projects with industry partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TallWood Design Institute (TDI) delivers applied research, education, and R&D consultation/fabrication/testing services that advance mass timber and other wood building solutions. Through a collaboration between Oregon State University and University of Oregon, TDI unites faculty across architecture, structural engineering, and wood science to offer research programs, a professional certificate program, hands-on workshops, an industry consortium (REACTS), and lab-based structural testing services from the Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory.

Product overview

TallWood Design Institute (TDI) is a research and education institute formed through collaboration between Oregon State University and University of Oregon. Rather than a single product, TDI offers a portfolio of interconnected offerings: research programs covering fire performance, moisture durability, seismic/structural performance, manufacturing, design innovation, and sustainability; education programs including a Certificate Program in Mass Timber Manufacturing and Construction, Design/Fabricate/Build Workshops, and Critical Mass (Timber) Group meetups; R&D Services providing consultation, fabrication, and testing for partners; and the REACTS Consortium for industry-led collaborative research. Major initiatives include the EDA Tech Hub, NSF Engine, and EDA Build Back Better programs. Featured projects include the Mass Plywood Panelized (MPP) House Prototype, Tubular Mass Timber Dancefloor, Non-Destructive Testing research, and NHERI Converging Design seismic testing program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REACTS Consortium: Research on Engineering, Architecture & Construction of Timber Structures - an industry-led research consortium founded by TDI in 2020

Products and services

• Mass Timber Applied Research Programs Collaborative applied research services for public and private partners covering fire performance, moisture durability, seismic/structural performance, manufacturing and supply chain, design innovation, and sustainability of mass timber products and building systems.
• Certificate Program in Mass Timber Manufacturing and Construction

Quantifiable outcome

• MPP uses 20-30% less wood than CLT, reducing material costs and improving sustainability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• REACTS Consortium MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry-led research consortium founded by TDI in 2020 with membership spanning AEC and manufacturing communities. Members include: Simpson Strong-Tie (Silver tier), and Bronze tier members including DCI Engineers, Degenkolb, DLR Group, Fastep, FFA Architecture, Forell Elsesser, Freres, Holmes, Kalesnikoff, KPFF, Lever Architecture, Mackenzie, MiTek, Mithun, Rothoblaas, StructureCraft, Swinerton, Timberlab, Thornton Tomasetti, WSP, ZGF. Members receive 18 months exclusive access to research data.
• Freres Engineered WoodcoreTechnology or IntegrationPioneered Mass Plywood Panels (MPP), providing panels for TDI's prefabricated housing research and tubular mass timber dancefloor project. Freres MPP is used nationwide in high-performance buildings.
• Oregon Mass Timber CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDI is a founding member. Coalition awarded $41.4M EDA Build Back Better grant to advance Oregon's sustainable mass timber sector through applied R&D, sustainable forestry, modular manufacturing, and affordable housing.
• Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech HubflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Oregon State University, aims to be global leader in mass timber design, manufacturing, and construction. One of 11 EDA Tech Hub finalists competing for $220M federal implementation funding. TDI serves as key research partner.
• Portland Airport (PDX Next)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTDI hosted meetup with project team behind Portland Airport's 400,000 sq ft timber roof featuring 3.3M board feet of Douglas Fir and over 400 80-foot glulam arches. Showcase of regional mass timber capabilities.
• Swinerton BuildercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner working with TDI on Phase 2 of MPP House Prototype, providing professional construction expertise for testing constructability.
• RothoblaascoreTechnology or IntegrationProvided XEPOX Epoxy Adhesives for tubular mass timber dancefloor project.
• Henkel AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvided PUR adhesives for tubular veneer technology project.
• Zena Forest ProductsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned forest management company. TDI Critical Mass (Timber) group toured facility. Zena developed EdgeGrain tile systems adapted from European wood tile technique for materials available in Pacific Northwest.
• WoodWorkscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of Mass Timber Seasonal Shindig event alongside Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, TDI, Oregon Department of Forestry, and Port of Portland.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Binational Softwood Lumber Council: U.S.-Canada trade/education alliance promoting wood building design. Comparable through education programming (e.g., sponsorship overlap with TDI workshops) and shared AEC audience, but not a research institute.
• Forest Products Society: International non-profit technical association for the wood products industry, supporting research dissemination through journals and conferences. Ecosystem participant relevant to TDI's publication strategy and academic-industry networking.

Direct peers

• FPInnovations: Canada's largest wood products research institute, operating as a not-for-profit R&D organization with government and industry funding. Closest analog to TDI given similar mandate of advancing wood/mass timber through applied research, testing, and industry partnership programs.
• University of British Columbia - Centre for Advanced Wood Processing: UBC's applied research and education center for wood products and manufacturing. Directly mirrors TDI's structure (university-anchored, applied R&D, industry collaboration, certificate/education programming) and operates in the same mass timber domain.

Broad incumbents

• WoodWorks (Wood Products Council): U.S. non-profit providing education, technical support, and design resources for commercial and multi-family wood construction. Overlaps TDI's educational mission and AEC audience, though focused on outreach rather than laboratory-based R&D.
• APA - The Engineered Wood Association: Trade association for engineered wood manufacturers, including CLT/glulam. Comparable because it bridges research, standards development, and industry —- similar ecosystem-building role, though manufacturer-funded and certification-focused rather than academic.
• USDA Forest Products Laboratory: U.S. federal wood research laboratory in Madison, WI. Comparable as a publicly-funded institution conducting mass timber and wood-product R&D, though broader in scope (biorefinery, durability, nano-materials) and federal rather than university-anchored.

Emerging players

• Kalesnikoff Mass Timber: Western Canadian mass timber manufacturer (glulam, CLT) and REACTS Bronze member. Comparable as a mass-timber focused manufacturer that engages TDI as both research partner and customer; partial overlap —- manufacturing rather than applied research.

Regional players

• Forestry Innovation Investment (FII): British Columbia Crown agency funding wood-product innovation, market development, and research. Shares mandate of advancing wood/mass timber through funded partnerships and education but operates in Canada, not the PNW U.S. market.
• Oregon Forest Resources Institute: Oregon state-funded institute advancing sustainable forestry education and research. Shares PNW geographic anchor, university-adjacent governance, and education/outreach model, though focused on forestry rather than mass timber construction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tallwooddesigninstitute8673
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tallwood-design-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/tallwooddesigninstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about TallWood Design Institute