The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music is a new cultural and educational facility being built on the Monmouth University campus in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the building will house the Springsteen Archives, rotating exhibits on American popular music, a 230-seat theater, listening rooms, and research spaces. With a hybrid structural system of steel and timber, the project will feature nearly 20,000 square feet of mass timber, combining the warmth of wood with museum-grade performance standards.

Timberlab contributed to this project by proposing a framing scheme that reduced glulam and CLT quantities, eliminated custom beam hangers, and cut more than 20 percent from the cost of the timber supply package—contributing to Timberlab’s selection. Partnered with Metropolitan Walters (MW), Timberlab was responsible for the mass timber supply scope, including delegated design of the structure and connections, material supply, and fabrication, while MW supplied structural steel and provided the full installation package. Working under one contract streamlined coordination, especially on custom timber-to-steel connections, which were specifically designed to simplify field adjustments. CLT panels were supplied by KLH and glulam by Hasslacher, with fabrication taking place at Timberlab’s Greenville, South Carolina facility. Using Tekla BIM modeling to integrate glulam, CLT, and steel into a single model helped anticipate and resolve potential clashes, ensuring simultaneous on-site installation of timber and steel for greater efficiency.