Walmart’s new campus—North America’s largest timber project under construction—hit a major milestone last week after Mercer Mass Timber (MMT), a subsidiary of Mercer International, finished work on installing 21,000 cubic metres of cross-laminated timber and glulam panels.
“This project showcases how mass timber can transform commercial construction,” said Nick Milestone, Senior Vice President at Mercer Mass Timber. “We’re proud to support Walmart’s sustainability vision and demonstrate how local, eco-friendly materials create beautiful, high-performance workplaces.”
First reported by Wood Central in January, the enormous campus, which will open next year, will eventually use more than 1.5 million cubic feet of timber for its construction, with MMT working on Zone 1, including four hybrid timber buildings, and Zone 3, which contains a five-storey building built with full-mass timber frames.
Working with Shawmut Design and Construction and Layton Construction, MMT also provided design-assist services, including feasibility analysis, logistics, and on-site installation support: “This marks the completion of our first major mass timber contract, but it’s just the beginning,” said Ricardo Brites, Director of Engineering & VDC at MMT. “We look forward to leading more projects that showcase mass timber’s potential.”
Designed by Gensler—also behind Under Armour’s new HQ in Baltimore—the master plan includes 30 buildings, including garages, shops, a hotel, and a fitness centre, across a sprawling campus designed by SWA Group to reflect the local Arkansas environment.
Wood Central understands work on the campus began in 2017, with the 350-acre vision reimagined during the Covid pandemic: “Our founder, Sam Walton, knew that when we all work together, ideas flourish, and this campus will allow us to keep making a positive difference in our customers’ lives for generations to come,” according to Doug McMillon, Walmart’s current day CEO.
“The state-of-the-art campus represents a multimillion-dollar investment in associate experience, environmental leadership, and community development, featuring mass timber construction, smart building technology, offices designed to be powered by renewable energy and seamless integration with downtown Bentonville.”
- To learn more about the Walmart project, including its unique connection to MMT, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
