40Ten

Mass timber beams and columns define 40Ten, a 105,000 square-foot boutique office building in Baltimore's Canton neighborhood that has changed local perceptions of wood construction. Part of The Collective development, the building has earned Excellence in Design Awards from both the American Institute of Architects Baltimore and Maryland chapters.

Heritage Meets Innovation

Baltimore's industrial history shaped 40Ten's design. The exterior's aesthetic recalls Canton's manufacturing past, while a repeating pattern frames the entrance, revealing the wood structure inside. Dowel laminated timber floor and roof panels combine with glulam post and beam framing. The DLT panels' kerf-cut profile creates clean shadow reveals underneath, while natural wood textures and grain patterns enrich the interior spaces. A raised access floor conceals mechanical, electrical, and plumbing lines, maintaining clean ceiling views throughout.

Site and Resource Protection

Built on a restored brownfield site, 40Ten follows sustainable practices from ground to roof. Native trees and plants create wildlife habitats, electrochromic glass prevents bird collisions, and dark-sky compliant lighting protects nocturnal species.

Low-flow and timed faucets minimize water use inside, while drought-resistant native plants reduce irrigation needs outside. One-pint flush urinals further decrease water consumption.

Economic Benefits

The building's location in Opportunity and Enterprise Zones spurs community development through tax incentives. The Inflation Reduction Act enabled Investment Tax Credits for electrochromic glass, while Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing supported energy improvements.

Energy Efficiency

A raised access floor system gives occupants control over temperature settings and improves air quality. Roof sensors adjust electrochromic glass tinting to regulate heat. The mass timber itself helps maintain stable temperatures, reducing reliance on mechanical systems.

Community Connections

The Collective at Canton includes a variety of health and wellness amenities. Celebree School provides childcare, while F45, Pilates studios, and ProMD health services serve residents' fitness and medical needs. The site's Walk Score of 73 reflects easy pedestrian access to groceries, banks, and parks. Local input shaped the development through public meetings.

Sustainable Construction

Mass timber defines 40Ten's environmental approach. The wood stores carbon dioxide and requires less water to produce than steel or concrete. Factory fabrication allowed precise assembly while minimizing waste. The timber components can be disassembled and reused, limiting future landfill impact. This approach required collaboration with city officials to establish new precedents for mass timber construction in Baltimore.

Slab on Grade

The Slab-on-grade foundation provides an economical structural solution without sacrificing performance.
The U-shaped plan places building and site utilities at grade at rear of building.

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Concrete Structure and Concrete Masonry Unit Cores

Transfer beams allow for an open lobby and an infilled plan above the utility yard.
A rotated egress stair allows for a compact lobby with an attractive open stair, keeps the retail tenant footprint regular and flexible, and provides a regular rectangular core on the office floors above.
Concrete masonry unit (CMU) cores provide shear strength, eliminating structural steel.

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Concrete Podium

The podium structure provides fire separation between retail and business uses, and blast-proof protections for transformer and switchgear yard located at rear.

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Raised Access Floor

The raised access floor (RAF) keeps building utilities off the ceiling and allows for simpler customizations between tenant fit outs.
The underfloor air system allows for greater comfort and customization at the user level, and single-direction airflow reduces the spread of germs throughout an open-office environment.

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Timber Post and Beam Structure

Glue laminated (glulam) timber posts and beams provide the primary structural system of floors 2-4, and do not require any additional finish or fire protection in an office environment.
The comparative lightness of the timber structure allowed the concrete podium and foundations to be smaller than typical.
Glulam columns were also placed at the first floor exterior to bring the timber closer to the passerby, and create a warmer experience for retail customers.

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Corridor Beam

Shorter grid spacing directly adjacent to the cores allowed for shallower beams. This provided more space for ceiling utilities to circle the core, and reduced the impact they had on ceiling height in the corridors and elevator lobbies.

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Dowel Laminated Timber Floor and Roof Panels

Dowel laminated timber (DLT) panels make use of wood dowels to join wood members to form structural panels, without the use of glue or nails.
DLT panels form the structural floor and roof, while also providing a finished ceiling surface with an attractive kerf-cut profile.
DLT panels at the roof are gently sloped to allow for stormwater collection without large amounts of built-up roofing, saving cost.

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DLT Panels

DLT panels span two column bays, and are installed offset to increase shear strength.

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Exterior Envelope

Balloon-framed exterior assembly allows for unbroken continuous insulation, increasing thermal performance.
Daylight-responsive electrochromic glazing on the South and West facades adapts to changing daylight levels to automatically tint the glazing and reduce glare levels and solar heat gain.
Floor-to-ceiling glazing allows daylight deep into the floor plate, reducing the need for artificial lighting during the day. Maximal glazing also allows pedestrians at street level to view the timber columns and ceiling from outside.
Durable fiber cement and wood-look metal siding are used on the exterior for low maintenance and cost-effective cladding while providing an attractive exterior finish.

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