The Beam on Farmer

The Beam on Farmer is conceived of as a modern warehouse. It is in the heart of downtown Tempe on a transition zone between the high-rise development along Mill Avenue to the east and the single-family residential character of the Riverside Neighborhood to the west. The site was previously home to a furniture manufacturing facility but has since been used as an asphalt parking lot for decades. This was a perfect infill site for Arizona’s first mass timber office building.

The decision to use mass timber (CLT slabs with glulam columns and beams) was a multi-faceted one taking into consideration everything from sustainability goals, cost of construction, and code limitations to regional market demand, financing strategies, and leasing logistics. Mass timber uses sustainably sourced materials and renewable resources, making it a greener choice. Sustainability and wellness are intrinsic to this construction model—mass timber buildings can sequester as much carbon as a concrete building creates and exposed wood in the finished product has positive biophilic impact for tenants. Demand has been high for implementing innovative and sustainable design and construction techniques in the build-to-suit market, but speculative development has lagged regionally creating an opportunity to be first to market.

One of the drawbacks to mass timber construction is that it requires a denser column grid than concrete or steel. In this case, the team incorporated deeper beams so that the column grid is as open as a typical concrete office building.

To maximize efficiency and keep the exposed structure as unobstructed as possible, the mechanical system utilizes under floor air distribution (UFAD). The under-floor, low-pressure air system is among the first in CLT construction. At only 8 inches high, this approach eliminates overhead ductwork, increases thermal comfort, uses less energy, and makes the system more flexible for users.