THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2023
According to reports, the four-story mass timber loft office building at Ponce City Market in Atlanta has topped out after construction began earlier this year.
Real estate investment and management firm Jamestown made the announcement at the end of last month regarding what has been dubbed as the first building in Georgia to use Georgia-grown timber and a regional supply chain.
About the Project
The building will include 87,000 square feet of office space and 27,000 square feet of retail space, located at Ponce City Market. Amenities will also reportedly feature onsite daycare and medical facilities, direct access to the Atlanta BeltLine, bike storage and complimentary access to The Roof at Ponce City Market.
Outdoor space will be available on every level, in addition to the building’s biophilic design, which will feature natural wood columns and ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows with operable panels.
Jamestown reports that 619 Ponce is part of Ponce City Market’s next phase, which includes a flexible-stay hospitality living building and Signal House, a multi-family rental building designed for active adults and the over 55 community.
Handel Architects is the Design Architect and Architect of Record for the project, which has been designed to target net neutral operational carbon, LEED Core & Shell certification and Fitwel certification.
Last week, the 619 Ponce project team topping out of the newest addition to Ponce City Market! This four-story mass timber project is Georgia’s first locally grown building. The project is constructed with local, southern yellow pine harvested from Georgia forests. #JEDunn pic.twitter.com/mcN3mLbMdq
— JE Dunn Construction (@JEDunn) June 22, 2023
As part of this, it aims to leverage best practices for material specification, including carbon reduction and locally sourcing materials from within 100 miles where possible.
According to the developer, most timber for mass timber construction is currently sourced from Canada, Austria or Germany. However, for this project, they are utilizing timber sourced and produced locally—a first for mass timber construction in Georgia.
The Georgia Forestry Foundation says that the state is particularly well positioned as a leader in forest product manufacturing and sustainable forest management, with two-thirds of the state’s land area covered in forests.
Jamestown noted in the press release that the building’s columns, beams and floor slabs are made of local southern yellow pine sawtimber harvested from Georgia forests, including from timberland Jamestown owns and sustainability manages near Columbus, Georgia.
The sawtimber was then transported to Georgia-Pacific’s sawmill in Albany, Georgia, to be converted into lumber. Afterwards, it was sent to SmartLam’s mass timber plant in Dothan, Alabama, where it was manufactured into cross laminated timber (CLT) panels.
At the end of February, Jamestown announced that work was underway for the building, starting with vertical construction.
Latest Milestone
Considered a “first for mass timber construction in Georgia,” the CLT panels were erected at the site at Ponce City Market by StructureCraft and JE Dunn. The exterior material is framed in zinc, which will patina over time and was chosen in response to the raw materiality of the all-brick Ponce City Market building next door.
“Because mass timber components are prefabricated off-site, mass timber buildings can be constructed faster than concrete and steel buildings,” said Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown. “The modularity and off-site fabrication is also part of what makes mass timber more sustainable.
“Faster construction timelines and fewer delivery trucks can lessen the impact on the environment. As mass timber awareness and expertise grows, we will be able to realize the potential shorter construction schedules more fully as an industry. With its regional supply chain, 619 Ponce is a step toward that goal.”
“It’s a great example of how true architectural and structural design collaboration, along with engaging local timber suppliers, can lead to a highly creative and efficient mass timber design,” said Structural Engineering Director Leif Johnson of StructureCraft.
Ahead of its completion, accounting, finance, HR and payroll technology firm Sage announced it will relocate its offices to the space in fall 2024. Additionally, Pottery Barn is anticipated to open a new store on the ground floor early that year, totaling more than 18,000 square feet to offer furniture and other décor.
Full completion of 619 Ponce is expected in 2024.
Tagged categories: Building Envelope; Building materials; Carbon footprint; Construction; Contracts; cross-laminated timber; Design; Good Technical Practice; Green building; Office Buildings; Ongoing projects; Program/Project Management; Projects - Commercial; Residential; Retail; Retail; Sustainability; timber