Blog • Building Fundamentals

Construction Mockups are Now on buildingfundamentals.com

May 26, 2026May 24, 2026 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

A few years ago, when I organized my many construction images, I realized that I had a rather large collection of pictures of various construction mockups. Those structures typically only serve a temporary purpose during construction and are then removed once a project is complete. It always seemed to me (as an educator) to be quite a waste to lose those mockups and thus their ability to educate about building materials and systems. I have in the past tried to save some (or build new ones) and have toyed with the idea of a mockup storage. Obviously a physical “museum” of mockups would take up considerable space, which led me to the realization that at the very least I should try to preserve them in digital image form. This led to me creating a dedicated site at constructionmockups.info with the idea that it could serve as such a “museum” for construction mockups. As I am consolidating my digital content, I have now...

Watch a Mass Timber Building Being Constructed

February 12, 2026May 23, 2026 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

Not everyone can be on a construction site when a mass timber building gets constructed. Fortunately for us - and with deep gratitude to UMass Amherst and the contractor Suffolk Construction - we were able to do just that when the John W. Olver Design building at UMass Amherst was being built in 2016-17. During construction, I would position my Brinno timelapse camera at crucial locations throughout the site that allowed me to record the action up-close. What resulted from this is a collection of over 200 daily timelapse videos that are all contained in the video that is embedded below. All you need to do is click "Play" and then lean back and watch the entire construction unfold in front of your eyes. With a total running time of 1 h 12 m this is a nice movie-replacement. In these videos, you can see up-close how the structure was erected by placing and fastening columns, beams, and CLT slabs. You can...

Our Mass Timber Book is Now Available!

February 2, 2026May 23, 2026 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

After two years of intensive work, my co-author, Peggi Clouston, and I are thrilled to announce that our new book "Mass Timber - Materials, Design, and Construction" is officially out! We just received our author copies (as you can see in the image), and seeing the final product in person is incredibly rewarding. This book serves as both a reference and a textbook that covers all aspects of mass timber buildings – from the materials through conceptualization and design to construction. If you are interested in studying, developing, designing, and constructing mass timber buildings, then this book is for you. Its main features are: Comprehensive Coverage: From raw materials to final construction. Visual Learning: Packed with full-color images and detailed illustrations. Practical Data: Includes sample calculations and data tables for real-world applications. After two years of work, it is quite amazing to finally hold the product in hand and to be able to see the content and illustrations so beautifully laid out. Wiley did an...

Talking Mass Timber on MassCEC’s Thoughtful Climate Interview Series

December 8, 2025May 23, 2026 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

A little while ago, Peggi Clouston and I joined Galen Nelson, MassCEC’s Chief Climate Officer, to talk about mass timber. This was part of their Thoughtful Climate Live Interview Series, which is a dialogue that features experts, pioneers, and practitioners from a variety of existing and emerging climatetech sectors and disciplines, as well as subject matter experts who can provide insights into broader economic, social and technological dynamics shaping our industry. This interview gave us a great opportunity to talk about mass timber buildings like the John W. Olver Design Building and also discuss where the mass timber Industry is heading - especially here in the Northeast. You can watch the full interview below. Got questions or comments? Discuss those below this post. Video https://youtu.be/eWra_FZXl8E...

New Book Pre-Order Announcement: ‘Mass Timber – Materials, Design, Construction’

October 28, 2025May 23, 2026 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

I have some exciting news: Together with Peggi Clouston, I co-authored a reference book on all aspects of mass timber buildings – from the materials through conceptualization and design to construction. If you are interested in developing, designing and constructing mass timber buildings, then you may want to keep an eye on this book. While it has not yet been released (we are still working on the proofs), you can already learn more about it and pre-order your copy by visiting masstimber.info. Publication will be in February 2026, just in time for the spring semester (in case you are interested in using it for a course)....