I recently had the opportunity to visit the 9th & High Off Campus Student Housing  project site in Columbus, Ohio, which will have twelve stories of mass timber supported on a one-story concrete podium making it the tallest mass timber student housing building in the U.S. And after spending months working through the design, it was great to see the building starting to take shape in real time. Being on site is always so rewarding because you see your hard work translated into

We are excited to share that Jon Guttello  will be speaking at the 10th Annual Young Engineers Symposium , hosted by the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois . The symposium brings together emerging professionals from across the region for a day focused on connection, learning, discussion, and professional growth. Jon’s presentation will focus on the three hour mass timber fire test  in which Forefront recently participated. The testing provided valuable real world da

I recently had the opportunity to join XR Realty  for a podcast conversation that covered a wide range of topics shaping cities today. The discussion moved naturally between development in Chicago, the future of large scale civic projects, and the evolving role of materials and construction methods such as mass timber and componentized housing. It was a thoughtful conversation that reflected how interconnected these topics really are. From my perspective at Forefront Structur

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

Last week, we had the opportunity to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for The Edison, a project that has been years in the making and one we’re incredibly proud to be working on. Standing on site in Milwaukee, surrounded by collaborators, partners, and the broader project team, it was a meaningful moment to pause and recognize what this project represents, and what’s ahead.