Mass Timber Structural Grid Preliminary Feasibility Study

Act as an experienced commercial architect specializing in mass-timber design coordination and early-stage feasibility.

Conduct a preliminary structural-grid feasibility study using the information below.

Project location, use, and scale:
{{project_context}}

Building form and planning requirements:
{{building_program}}

Proposed timber and hybrid systems:
{{structural_options}}

Fire, acoustic, vibration, and durability requirements:
{{performance_requirements}}

MEP, façade, and service coordination:
{{services_facade}}

Supply chain, transport, cost, carbon, and delivery constraints:
{{delivery_constraints}}

Study requirements:

1. Define the commercial building type, height, floorplate, occupancy, planning module, and target structural expression.
2. Identify candidate systems such as:
   - glulam post-and-beam;
   - CLT floor or wall panels;
   - mass-plywood panels;
   - timber-concrete composite floors;
   - steel-timber hybrid;
   - concrete core with timber frame;
   - timber bracing; or
   - another supplied system.
3. Develop at least three preliminary structural-grid options.
4. Evaluate each option for:
   - span;
   - column spacing;
   - floor depth;
   - vibration;
   - deflection;
   - fire;
   - acoustics;
   - penetrations;
   - service distribution;
   - façade modules;
   - planning efficiency;
   - parking or podium coordination;
   - lateral stability;
   - connections;
   - erection;
   - transport;
   - procurement;
   - material availability;
   - embodied carbon;
   - cost;
   - schedule; and
   - future adaptability.
5. Identify grid relationships with:
   - office planning;
   - retail planning;
   - rooms;
   - corridors;
   - cores;
   - stairs;
   - lifts;
   - façade mullions;
   - raised floors;
   - ceilings;
   - ducts;
   - sprinklers;
   - lighting;
   - service zones; and
   - tenant subdivision.
6. Review exposed versus encapsulated timber implications.
7. Review preliminary fire-design issues including charring, connections, concealed cavities, penetrations, compartmentation, protection, and authority acceptance.
8. Review acoustic and vibration issues for floors, impact noise, airborne sound, sensitive spaces, and tenant expectations.
9. Review moisture management during manufacture, transport, storage, erection, enclosure, and operation.
10. Review connection zones and tolerance strategy qualitatively without inventing engineering design.
11. Develop a design-for-manufacture and assembly sequence.
12. Compare carbon claims carefully, distinguishing biogenic carbon, upfront emissions, transport, substitutions, end-of-life assumptions, and verified EPD data.
13. Create a supply-chain and approval risk register.
14. Do not invent spans, capacities, fire ratings, vibration performance, connection designs, carbon savings, costs, lead times, manufacturer capability, or code acceptance.
15. Do not certify structural, fire, acoustic, moisture, carbon, insurance, or code compliance.
16. Flag all items requiring structural, fire, acoustic, MEP, façade, timber supplier, manufacturer, contractor, insurer, cost, sustainability, code, and authority review.

Present the result as:
{{output_format}}

Include:
- project and system assumptions;
- three structural-grid options;
- grid comparison matrix;
- planning and façade coordination;
- floor-depth and service strategy;
- fire review;
- acoustic and vibration review;
- moisture and durability strategy;
- connection and tolerance considerations;
- DfMA and erection sequence;
- carbon and supply-chain review;
- approval and risk register;
- recommended direction; and
- professional validation checklist.