As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital storage grow, so does the demand for data centers. The expansion of digital infrastructure and building these facilities has a large environmental impact. Most data centers rely heavily on steel and concrete, materials with high embodied carbon. At the same time, developers and tech companies face increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions. Mass timber and solid wood building materials offer a lower-carbon alternative.
What is Mass Timber?
Mass timber refers to engineered wood products made by layering and bonding lumber into strong structural panels and beams. These high-performing materials are designed for commercial buildings and large-scale construction and meet modern building codes for safety and fire resistance.
While mass timber is common in offices, schools, and multifamily housing, it’s now being explored for more technical building types, including data centers.
Can Wood Be Used in Data Centers?
While much of the conversation around mass timber focuses on structure, wood can also be integrated into data center design in more targeted ways. Not every project will pursue a full mass timber structure—but many can incorporate wood strategically without compromising performance or reliability.
One of the most practical applications is exterior wood cladding. As data centers expand, their physical footprint and visual impact on surrounding communities continue to grow. Wood cladding offers a natural material expression that helps large-scale buildings integrate more thoughtfully into their environment and architectural context. When properly specified, solid wood cladding can meet durability, fire performance, and weathering requirements of high-performance building envelopes.
Wood flooring and interior cladding can also be used in controlled interior environments such as offices, lobbies, and support spaces, offering biophilic design strategies that contribute to occupant wellbeing and environmental quality.
By approaching wood as part of a broader material strategy—not just a structural system—project teams can incorporate it in ways that align with performance expectations and budget.
Why Consider Mass Timber and Solid Wood Material for Data Centers?
Mass timber data centers use engineered wood as part of the primary structural system, offering an alternative to traditional steel and concrete construction while meeting the same performance but lowering the building’s carbon footprint.
Data centers operate 24/7, so the materials used to build them matter. The carbon created during construction can make up a large portion of the building’s total emissions.
As companies track their environmental impact, material choices are becoming more important in construction. Using mass timber and solid wood cladding in data centers helps to achieve emissions targets and corporate net-zero goals.
Why Project Teams are Exploring Timber:
- Reducing Embodied Carbon
Data centers have large structural footprints, and replacing portions of steel and concrete can significantly lower the upfront emissions. Microsoft announced a 35% reduction in the Embodied Carbon Footprint of its new data centers compared to steel construction.A building’s total emissions come from several stages, including material production, daily operation, and what happens at the end of the building’s life. Using timber can reduce emissions during these stages. Scientists state that this approach could reduce global CO2 emissions by 14-31%.
- Lower Costs
Firms confirm that mass timber reduces costs by more than 5%. Since timber is a lighter structural system than alternative materials, it can reduce foundation requirements. This reduction leads to lower material and labor costs.
- Speed of Construction
Prefabricated timber components can reduce build timelines and increase the speed of building construction by up to 25%. The lighter foundation also allows for shorter schedules, due to less excavation and concrete work, as well as quicker installation for structural framing.
- Alignment with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Goals
Many tech companies have intensive sustainability commitments, including the need to align with ESG goals and qualify for LEED credits. Low-carbon materials support those goals. Sustainable mass timber is transparently sourced from responsibly managed forests that store carbon and preserve biodiversity and water quality.
- Fire Safe
Mass timber can be safely integrated into data center environments when designed in accordance with established fire codes—just like steel or concrete systems. What differentiates mass timber is its predictable performance in a fire. Rather than weakening rapidly, which is a common belief, it forms a char layer that slows combustion and helps maintain structural integrity over a defined period. This allows engineers to design assemblies that meet required fire-resistance ratings with a high degree of confidence.
In mission-critical facilities where risk mitigation and uptime are paramount, fire performance is achieved through a layered, system-based approach. Code-compliant timber structures incorporate fire-rated wall assemblies, automatic sprinkler systems, and compartmentalization strategies consistent with other construction types. In addition, solid wood materials such as fire-retardant-treated wood (FRTW) for exterior applications, and Class A-rated topical finishes for interior surfaces, can be specified to reduce flame spread and meet code requirements.
When properly detailed and engineered, these strategies allow wood to be used within data center environments—supporting both performance and safety without compromising operational resilience.
Benefits Beyond Sustainability
- Early adopters can demonstrate leadership in sustainable infrastructure.
- As companies begin to measure carbon more consistently, the materials used in buildings become more important to long-term value.
- The global cross-laminated timber market size is expected to reach USD 3.56 billion by 2030, leading to increased workforce growth.
- Employees report better morale, productivity, and sense of wellness in these spaces.
As digital infrastructure expands and benefits become clearer, the industry is starting to rethink how projects are designed from the ground up, with a growing responsibility to build intentionally.
Materials and Support Designed for the Life of the Structure
Selecting responsibly sourced materials that align with the 100-year lifespan of mass timber structures is an important consideration. Exterior wood components must be able to perform over time alongside the structure itself. Modified wood species and high-performance finishes can help improve durability, reduce maintenance, and support long-term performance.
For complex, fast-moving, and large-scale builds such as data centers, careful evaluation of wood species, modification methods, and finish systems ensure alignment with design intent and project requirements. Prefinished wall assembly systems streamline installation, support proper ventilation, and simplify coordination across teams. Specialized guidance is also a critical component for the integration of solid wood cladding within mass timber assemblies, ensuring structural compatibility and compliance with building codes. Addressing these considerations early in the design and specification process supports predictable timelines and smoother coordination during construction.
Looking Ahead: Designing with Intention
Mass timber data centers represent an evolving approach to construction—one that balances structural performance with environmental responsibility. As the industry continues to explore timber applications, long-term durability and informed material selection remain key considerations.
Working alongside architects and contractors, RESAWN partners throughout the design and construction process—providing both thoughtfully developed wood products and the technical guidance to support them. We work closely with project teams to inform specification decisions and ensure alignment between solid wood cladding systems and the broader building assembly.
By addressing material selection, detailing, and constructability early in the project process, we help teams navigate performance requirements, streamline installation, and reduce risk in the field. This integrated approach ensures that both the cladding and its supporting systems work together to meet durability, fire, and long-term performance goals.
Designing with intention means looking beyond the structure itself—considering how each system component and layer of support contributes to the building’s overall lifecycle, performance, and impact.
Contact us today to learn how our material solutions enhance mass timber design.
