RiNo office building made out of wood on track to be completed this year


A new office complex made out of wood is predicted to become one of Denver’s “most environmentally friendly” buildings.

Construction on River North Art District’s T3 RiNo — a six-story building made of black spruce, a heavy timber — is set to finish later this year. Using wood for construction is cited as one way to cut carbon.

The timber structure serves as “a prime example of our commitment to embedding sustainability into every aspect of our projects as we work to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040,” said John Rosato, executive vice president of capital projects and development at Canadian real estate company Ivanhoé Cambridge. It’s acting as a co-developer on the project, alongside real estate companies Hines and McCaffery.

T3 RiNo, 3500 Blake St., is “slated to be one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable developments in Denver,” according to a Monday update on the project.

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The building’s design makes it renewable, recyclable and non-toxic, with the wood sourced from company Nordic Structures.

“T3 RiNo is delivering a cutting-edge sustainable office product to the Denver market that will make a positive impact on the workforce that occupies it and the community,” said Alexandra Durkee, director at Hines.

In Denver, it’s not the only timber building in the works. Another developer, Katz Development, is also building a 12-story apartment project out of wood.

Across the continent, the trend is catching on. Hines developed its T3 model for timber buildings, with five projects within its T3 portfolio scheduled to reach completion in North America in 2023.

Other U.S. cities with a T3 building under construction include Austin and Fort Lauderdale. Both Minneapolis and Atlanta already serve as homes to Hines’ wooden developments.

The 235,000-square-foot RiNo office complex will feature private outdoor terraces, a fitness center, ground-floor retail space and access to the RTD rail system.

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