Overcoming Construction Barriers to Mass Timber Adoption in the Inland Northwest: A Case Study of the ICCU Arena

This study investigates the construction-related challenges facing the adoption of locally sourced mass timber in the Inland Northwest, with particular focus on the Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU) Arena in Moscow, Idaho. While mass timber offers environmental and logistical advantages through prefabrication, digital fabrication, and reduced on-site labor, its implementation in rural and semi-rural regions reveals a complex set of barriers that limit its viability at scale. Using a mixed-methods approach, this research integrates a literature review, construction-phase documentation, and stakeholder interviews with architects, engineers, and contractors involved in mass timber projects. The goal is to identify specific barriers, including workforce skill gaps, design coordination challenges, cost predictability, and supply chain volatility, that affect mass timber's construction efficiency in the region. A central case explored is the closure of Katerra's Spokane Valley CLT facility in 2021. Despite its advanced technology and significant financial investment, the facility's failure exemplifies the fragility of emerging supply chains for engineered wood products in the Inland Northwest. This disruption, coupled with a lack of regionally trained labor in timber construction methods, highlights the need for targeted workforce development, resilient business models, and cross-sector coordination. The findings from this study will contribute to a regional framework for overcoming construction-phase barriers to mass timber implementation. The results aim to support designers, policymakers, and manufacturers seeking to scale timber construction through more reliable and resilient pathways in similar post-industrial and rural markets.