A Sustainable Timber Skyline: The Future of Design | Ben Kaiser | TEDxPortland

The design and structural craft of building with wood in America is finally changing - for the better. Innovations in the timber industry and the rise of cross-laminated timber (CLT)* are forcing Oregonians sitting on the richest sustainable resource, the Douglas Fir, to rethink how to harvest, sustain and reshape the future. *Cross-laminated timber is a wood panel typically consisting of three, five, or seven layers of dimension lumber oriented at right angles to one another and then glued to form structural panels with exceptional strength, dimensional stability, and rigidity. With special thanks to the UNIVERSITY OF OREGON for presenting partnership, a world class stage design provided by HENRY V, an incredible legacy bound book provided by PREMIER and to the creative digital craft provided by ENJOY THE WEATHER. All of our Partners and event history can be found TEDxPortland.com In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations) Ben owns both the Kaiser Group, Inc., which is committed to commercial and residential construction, and PATH Architecture, Inc., which offers the highest level of conceptual design and timeless modern works of architectural beauty. Kaiser recently concluded an 8-year term on the Portland Design Commission, which is tasked with overseeing the constant zoning, design and planning within the City of Roses. He is currently developing the tallest engineered timber building in the United States - Carbon 12. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx