Wood is making a comeback in American architecture. Across North America, mass timber buildings—constructed with large wooden panels and beams—are on the rise. The Edison, a 32-story project in Milwaukee, is now underway and expected to become the tallest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

Timber’s appeal lies in its environmental and practical benefits. Trees store carbon as they grow, making wood a low-emission building material that can also speed up construction and lower costs. In this episode of Deep Green, Columbia professor, author, and architect Lindsey Wikstrom explores how architecture must evolve to use timber responsibly, while DLR Group’s Stephen Cavanaugh shares lessons from designing millions of square feet of mass timber projects.