Timberlab Independence Hall

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An industrial production facility for wood products which strengthens Oregon's mass timber supply chain, and an inspiring showcase that demonstrates mass timber's potential.

An asset to the regional supply chain, Timberlab Independence Hall is a Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) manufacturing facility in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. When completed, it will stretch 190,000 sf, making it one of the largest CLT production sites in the country with an expected annual yield of 7 million to 9 million sf of CLT.

The facility will house large-scale manufacturing equipment for advanced timber and wood processing, including an automated feeding system, high-speed cross-cut saws and a top-of-the-line finger-jointing system. 

The project aims to strengthen Oregon’s mass timber supply chain, bolstering sustainable construction practices and economic growth.

Independence Hall is being built with glulam produced at Timberlab’s other Oregon facilities using locally harvested timber, which benefits local forestry businesses. Independence Hall reinforces the Pacific Northwest’s reputation as a global hub for timber innovation. A Wood Innovations Grant from the USDA Forest Service supports the design of this full-mass timber building.

Independence Hall houses state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment below long-span beams, allowing the unhindered movement of large CLT panels from lamstock, through manufacturing and fabrication, and onto trucks loaded inside the temperature- and humidity- controlled structure.

A showcase of mass timber’s potential. 

Independence Hall embodies efficiency and large-scale production capabilities, which reinforces the facility’s role in advancing timber construction technology. The structure uses long-span glulam beams—95 feet and 110 feet—to create a two-bay warehouse capable of producing CLT panels up to 60 feet long and 11.5 feet wide. The 900-foot-long structure features a full-length clerestory window 45 feet above that bathes the factory floor in light and allows the warmth of the Douglas fir to come through. Independence Hall uses the largest glulam beams that can be efficiently manufactured and transported, taking full advantage of Swinerton / Timberlab’s vertical integration. 

The design repeats a kit-of-parts bay structure over the length of the building, which takes advantage of economies of scale and simplifies installation.

Facilitating mass timber adoption.

As a major new link in the supply chain for laminated wood products in the Pacific Northwest, Independence Hall is helping to streamline the process of incorporating mass timber. By widening access to responsibly sourced mass timber, Independence Hall aspires to aid in its widespread adoption as a tool for reducing carbon emissions. Future building projects in the region will benefit from having this expansive, fast, efficient CLT factory in close proximity to Portland.

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