Forest-to-Frame: LEVER Architecture on Regenerative Design and Material SourcingSave this picture!Metro YMCA Workplace Adaptation / Bora Architects + LEVER Architecture. Image © Jeremy BittermannThere is a renewed interest in how food is produced and how its creation affects the well-being of both the land and the communities it supports. A similar shift is occurring in architecture, where material culture is emerging as the backbone of design innovation. LEVER Architecture exemplifies this movement with its pioneering "forest-to-frame" model, an approach that reimagines architecture not as an extractive process, but as a regenerative force with positive impacts that extend well beyond the boundaries of any individual building site."I think of architecture like cooking," founder Thomas Robinson tells ArchDaily. "Instead of coming with an a priori idea, you're looking at what's in the region, what ingredients are available, what can be regionally sourced." This philosophy of responsiveness and regeneration is central to the West Coast-based practice's approach, with materials playing a critical role, not just in their physical properties, but in where they come from, how they're sourced, and the broader environmental and cultural impacts they carry. Save this picture!For Robinson, the architectural experience, much like a culinary one, is rooted in the meaningful, tactile connections created through thoughtful composition. "Ultimately, it all comes down to the experience of weaving these efforts into a haptic encounter whether through taste or architectural space. I believe cooking has much to teach architects - it's about balance, nuance, and the power of subtle interactions," he adds. Related Article From Prototype to Progress: How Small-Scale Sustainable Housing Models Are Shaping Our Future Explorations with TimberSave this picture!LEVER's innovation began with cross-laminated timber (CLT), a prefabricated panel that offers dimensional stability and precise fabrication possibilities. Their office building became a proof of concept, using the first panels manufactured from Oregon forests. "We put together 4,000 square feet of floor in two hours," Robinson recalls of that pioneering project, which demonstrates both the efficiency and expressive potential of mass timber.The dominant mode of timber construction in the United States has remained largely unchanged since 1832. "You can't innovate if you haven't mastered convention," Robinson observes, noting that the entire American landscape—forests, mills, and timber infrastructure—has been organized around stick-frame construction for single-family homes.Save this picture!Save this picture!One of the biggest challenges with mass timber has been its unfamiliarity, especially in the U.S., where timber is typically associated with residential frame houses or low-rise multifamily buildings. This perception was particularly relevant during the development of the Spring Street project in Los Angeles. To ease the introduction of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) in this context, the design team opted for a hybrid system that combined steel with mass timber.The only departure from a conventional steel structure was the use of CLT floor panels. Since this approach aligned with the allowable parameters for the building type, it was not seen as a significant hurdle, particularly because the manufacturer had already secured a Los Angeles-specific code certification for CLT. Although that certification ultimately wasn't required, it provided valuable peace of mind throughout the process.The Site Beyond the SiteSave this picture!The most powerful aspect of LEVER's work is their consideration of what Robinson calls "the site beyond the site", the extended landscapes impacted by material choices. This principle was fully realized in their Oregon Conservation Center for The Nature Conservancy. "The careful selection of materials we used were directly connected to The Nature Conservancy's goals for landscape regeneration and preservation at sites beyond the location of the building," Robinson explains. LEVER sourced the first FSC-certified CLT in Oregon from forests managed by the Conservancy, creating a direct connection between the building and the organization's mission.A notable material story involved juniper wood used for the building's façade. Eastern Oregon juniper, native to the region, has proliferated due to fire suppression and now depletes groundwater needed by endangered species like sage grouse. By creating architectural demand for juniper, LEVER helped establish a viable market for harvesting this invasive tree. Sustainable Northwest estimated that the façade of the Nature Conservancy restores approximately 750,000 gallons of water a year into the Eastern Oregon landscape. This example perfectly illustrates how material selection can catalyze environmental restoration far from the building site itself.Save this picture!Save this picture!Transparency and TraceabilityAs projects scale up, maintaining transparency in the supply chain becomes increasingly challenging. LEVER approaches this by establishing direct relationships with forest owners and manufacturers. "We can establish relationships with forest owners and manufacturers directly," Robinson explains. "In addition to certification, we have the opportunity to visit and interact with the people managing these lands."This hands-on approach to sourcing is augmented by partnerships with organizations like Sustainable Northwest, which can trace materials in ways that exceed an architectural firm's capacity. For the Meyer Memorial Trust headquarters, LEVER developed a sophisticated sourcing matrix that tracked not just certification status but also land ownership models.Save this picture!Save this picture! "As a chef might develop relationships with people growing food for them, that specific relationship relative to certification is something valuable to us," Robinson says, emphasizing the importance of relationship-building in sustainable sourcing. The forest-to-frame model works outside the timber-rich Pacific Northwest. Each location has its specific qualities, culture, and ecology. Architects elsewhere need to discover their own regional material stories, understand local natural resources, cultural practices, and develop manufacturing capabilities to develop regionally specific solutions. Robinson points to the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine, as an example of how LEVER is helping catalyze mass timber adoption in the Northeast, a region with its own rich forestry history but different ecological conditions.Architecture as a Regenerative ForceSave this picture!Robinson sees architecture as "an intelligent tool that can profoundly impact the environment in ways that extend beyond any specific site to be a regenerative force in the world." He believes that architects' daily material decisions ripple across society, particularly at the scale of cities and buildings. "I am not just interested in sustainable design," he emphasizes, "but in considering how LEVER's work can evolve the extractive model that underpins contemporary building to a place where material choices can be catalysts for restoring landscapes", he proclaims.The model presents a shift in architectural thinking—from minimizing harm to actively healing environmental damage. LEVER's projects demonstrate that buildings can simultaneously serve human needs while addressing larger ecological challenges through thoughtful material selection and innovative design strategies. As global architecture confronts climate change and resource depletion, LEVER's forest-to-frame approach offers a vision for the profession's future. "This is one of the most exciting times to be in architecture and design, even though it's difficult," Robinson concludes. "It's really when these sorts of crises occur that change happens." Image gallerySee allShow less About this authorAnkitha GattupalliAuthor••• Cite: Ankitha Gattupalli. "Forest-to-Frame: LEVER Architecture on Regenerative Design and Material Sourcing " 12 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1029969/forest-to-frame-lever-architecture-on-regenerative-design-and-material-sourcing&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream