October 01, 2025

Mass Timber, Carbon Truths, and Smarter Sustainability

27 minutes

Mass timber is everywhere in today’s conversations about sustainable construction. But is it the silver bullet that many claim it to be? In this episode of Bridging the Gap, Todd Weyandt talks with Varun Kohli, Director of Sustainability at Corgan, about the real impact of mass timber and the future of sustainable design.

Varun shares insights from Corgan’s groundbreaking research on embodied carbon and their new Mass Timber Carbon Calculator, which challenges assumptions about net-zero claims and highlights the hidden emissions in forestry practices.

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Why it’s critical to ask deeper questions about sourcing and forestry practices

How embodied carbon calculations are evolving in architecture and construction

The role of hybrid solutions, adaptive reuse, and low-carbon alternatives beyond timber

Why modular building could be the next big leap in sustainable construction

If you care about the future of building design, sustainability, and carbon accountability, this episode is packed with takeaways that will reshape how you think about construction materials.

MEET OUR GUEST

Varun Kohli is Principal – Director of Sustainability at Corgan. A fierce advocate for environmental and social sustainability, Varun creates and implements integrated design processes for significant projects globally. His meticulous approach purposefully dissolves the boundaries between built, human, and natural ecosystems. As the Director of Sustainability at Corgan, Varun provides firm-wide leadership on climate and sustainability topics. With a focus on integrating environmental sensitivities in design, Varun collaborates with Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (CEA) researchers on novel pedagogical models for environmental design and has taught courses at Harvard GSD and RPI (CASE).

TODD TAKES

No Silver Bullets

Mass Timber is exciting, but it’s not a cure-all. We need to view it as one option in a broader toolkit of sustainable materials and strategies.

The “Yes, And” Approach

Sustainability isn’t about choosing one perfect solution. It’s about combining methods, technologies, and ideas to create better outcomes together.

Stay Curious

The biggest breakthroughs come when we keep asking deeper questions. Where does this material come from, what’s its impact, and how can we make it better?

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