Columbus’s first mass timber building and, at 13 stories, the tallest mass timber student housing structure in the U.S., has topped out, a construction milestone.

Forefront Principal Josh Dortzbach recently joined Informed Infrastructure for a conversation about 9th & High, the mass timber student housing project currently rising near The Ohio State University in Columbus. Read the full article on their website. The conversation became the basis for the magazine’s feature, It’s Tall, But That’s Not All: A Consequential 158 Feet of Mass Timber in Columbus, Ohio, which looks at what makes the project significant beyond its height.

Forefront continues to stay deeply engaged in this transformative development on the former Lincoln Yards north site—now officially moving forward after a key milestone: the Chicago Plan Commission has approved the Foundry Park proposal and cleared the way for further city reviews. Read the full article here. Foundry Park is a mixed-use neighborhood redevelopment envisioned for roughly 34 acres along the Chicago River, replacing decades of stalled plans with a fresh, communi

We are excited to share that construction is officially underway on Shoreway Tower , a new residential high rise that will play a significant role in Cleveland’s evolving lakefront corridor. Seeing a project move from planning and coordination into active construction is always meaningful, and this milestone marks an important step forward for both the project and the broader neighborhood. We’re very proud of the great work by the Forefront team and are grateful for the cont

We’re proud to share the completion of 5 City Blvd, a 15-story cast-in-place concrete office tower now fully realized in the heart of Nashville. From early design through construction, this project has been a rewarding collaboration; one that brings together thoughtful urban integration, structural efficiency, and a clear architectural vision.

After we shared our reflections on the 3-hour mass timber fire test , I had the opportunity to continue that conversation in a different format. I was recently invited by Neutral to join their podcast and talk more openly about why the testing mattered, what we learned, and how it’s shaping the way I think about mass timber moving forward. In Episode 19 of the Neutral Podcast , I talk through the motivation behind the test, what it was like to see the assembly perform in rea

This month at Forefront Structural Engineers, we’ve been proud to break ground on 9th & High , a project that represents not only a major milestone in mass timber construction but also a powerful example of what thoughtful structural design can help bring to life in today’s built environment. Read the full press release here. Located just off the Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio, 9th & High is rising as what will be the tallest mass timber student housing buildi

As structural engineers, we’re often asked to advocate for new systems, while also being responsible for public safety, durability, and long-term performance. That balance is exactly why participating in a full-scale, 3-hour mass timber fire test was so important to us at Forefront Structural Engineers. Working closely with Neutral Architects on projects like The Edison , we’ve seen firsthand how questions around fire performance can shape design decisions early. This test