Demonstration projects have long served as catalysts for innovation—testing new materials, processes, and ideas that respond to the evolving needs of our time. MASS Haptic continues this tradition as a call to action for the State of Florida: to recognize and utilize its abundant regional timber resources and local manufacturing capacities in the pursuit of healthier, renewable, and low-carbon building practices.

Conceived as an outdoor learning pavilion, MASS Haptic is both a structure and an experience. It invites students, faculty, and the University of Florida community to engage directly with the processes of design, construction, and material transformation. Here, learning takes on a tactile dimension—visitors can touch, smell, hear, and see the qualities of wood, gaining an embodied understanding of the materials that shape our built environment.

At its core, MASS Haptic tells a “forest-to-building” story, connecting the act of construction to its broader ecological and territorial context. Its origins lie in the Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) forests that blanket the Southeastern United States—a landscape of fast-growing trees that range from straight, structural-quality lumber to smaller, twisted logs often destined for pulp or combustion.

The pavilion brings together both ends of this spectrum. The roof canopy is formed from precision-fabricated Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels, representing the advanced manufacturing potential of the region. In contrast, the columns are crafted from undersized and irregular logs that have been upcycled from lower-value material streams. By transforming these neglected trees into structural elements, MASS Haptic redefines their worth—economically, environmentally, and energetically—illustrating how thoughtful design can shift perceptions of material value.

Ultimately, MASS Haptic stands as both a prototype and a pedagogy: a place to gather, learn, and imagine a regional future for wood construction that is renewable, resilient, and deeply connected to place.

Project supported in part by the Softwood Lumber Board