By Jorge Casuso

December 2, 2025 -- The City has launched a one-year pilot program that encourages developers to use engineered wood to build large multi-family and commercial buildings, Santa Monica officials announced Monday.

The Mass Timber Accelerator, launched in partnership with the American Institute of Architects – Los Angeles (AIA-LA), helps developers integrate "mass timber" into project designs, making it faster and cheaper to build, City officials said.

Mass timber -- which "refers to large engineered wood panels, often paired with engineered wood columns and beams" -- includes "cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue-laminated timber (glulam), and nail-laminated timber (NLT)," according to City staff

"Mass timber is quickly gaining popularity in the sustainable development community as a beautiful, fast, and sustainable alternative to traditional concrete and steel," said Peter Roquemore, a sustainability analyst for the City.

The engineered wood has the "potential to emit up to 40 percent less carbon than traditional building materials, while also decreasing construction time -- and as a result, building costs," Roquemore wrote in a blog post.

It also "allows for beautiful, exposed wood aesthetic designs that are coming back in vogue," Roquemore wrote.

Under a recent change in the California building code, mass timber can be used for buildings of up to 18 stories, according to City staff.

Despite its cost savings and sustainable features, mass timber also has its drawbacks. Engineered wood must be transported long distances mostly from Canada and China, its main exporters.

In addition, mass timber can result in "condensation" and "shrinkage and swelling," has "poor sound insulation" and is "vulnerable to pests," according to the industry publication Construction Times.

The new pilot program comes four months after the City Council voted in August to accept a $100,000 grant from the Softwood Lumber Board, to explore shifting Santa Monica's construction policies.

The grant funded a program to help "evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating mass timber in new buildings," according to the City staff report to the Council.

The pilot program "will competitively select up to five private development projects for funding and technical assistance," according to the program's application form.

The free technical assistance is provided by WoodWorks, a non-profit funded by the Softwood Lumber Board that provides support for commercial and multi-family wood buildings, according to its website.

In addition, participants receive "a financial incentive for completing the accelerator program, with incentives ranging from $20,000 to more than $50,000," City officials said.

"Applicant projects should have strong potential for implementing mass timber construction practices," the application states.

The City Council took additional steps in August to speed up large housing projects by offering market-rate developers density bonuses and an opportunity to build affordable units off-site.

Developers rushed to take advantage of the program to kick-start stalled housing construction, which saw building permits for only 181 units issued since 2023.

In its first week, the program -- which also allows developers to delay building the affordable housing -- received applications for a total of 1,088 units ("Housing Developers Flock to Incentive Program," September 25, 2025).