Ellenzweig Wins Timber Futures Award

We are proud to announce that Ellenzweig’s recent conceptual project for a confidential client, the ten-story Research and Teaching Institute for Advanced Biotechnologies has been awarded Third Prize in the Timber Futures Ideas Competition.

The international jury recognized the project for its clear vision and design, noting its skillful re-examination of the laboratory building typology through the lens of biophilic principles, organic form, and labs of the future. Conceived as an architectural expression of scientific discovery, the proposal demonstrates how modern laboratory environments can fuse sustainability, innovation, and the evolving needs of scientific research.

At the core of the project is an ambitious exploration of advanced mass timber as a primary structural system for high-performance laboratory spaces. The timber structure is celebrated throughout the building, with exposed columns, beams, and floor systems shaping both the architectural character and the human experience. As a speculative project, the design allowed the team to align building program, circulation, and enclosure around the expressive potential of timber, envisioning a future where mass timber construction is not the exception, but the norm across building types.