A construction site with a tall crane and a high-rise mass timber building under construction in an urban cityscape at sunset.

How we do it

Groundbreaking projects require innovation, world-class engineering, and a deep understanding of finance, property management and all other aspects of real estate development. Our team has a 30+ year track record of successful development projects, along with industry leadership and the experience of developing the world’s tallest mass timber building in Milwaukee.

Our team is uniquely qualified to build tall timber at scale – and is the only team in the world with a multi-family platform based on the design and engineering of a complete and successful project.

Bright modern living room with large floor-to-ceiling windows, white sofa, armchair, wooden dining table with chairs, and indoor plants.

"The exposed timber in my apartment is amazing. It sounds crazy, but the building feels alive.” - Ascent MKE Resident

Exposing the timber structure of the building is crucial to our design methodology, and creates an inimitably warm biophilic environment. Informed by the principles of biophilic design, our projects integrate abundant natural light, patterns and materials drawn from nature, and thoughtful integration of indoor and outdoor space.

To reach a significant level of exposure, we conducted the world’s first 3-hour fire tests, working closely with the local fire department as well as code officials to obtain the required variances.

Natural beauty.

Sunlight shining through tall, slender pine trees in a forest with green foliage and a dirt forest floor.

At Ascent MKE, using mass timber as a structural system sequestered a total of 5,747 tons of CO2. A comparable building created from concrete would emit approximately 1,519 tons of CO2, resulting in a net difference of 7,266 tons.

Lower emissions.

In addition to the carbon sink, we also source timber from certified PEFC sustainably managed forests, and use building technology to decrease operational emissions.

A digital rendering of a high-rise building under construction with a visible steel framework and a smaller section at the bottom.

To achieve repeatable designs, Timber + Partners has partnered with Generate, a revolutionary software that allows us to design a building with known, manufactured components - like the ones used at Ascent - and get an immediate understanding of the engineering, fiber volumes, connections, and component counts.

Those components can be sent to manufacturers from the screen for immediate pricing. A second version of Ascent was designed and priced in 75 days.

This design approach significantly increases speed, allowing us to fail fast when it doesn’t work and move forward with confidence quickly when it does.

Efficient & Repeatable.