Workbench is a new 45,000-square-foot, four-story mixed-use development in the heart of East Austin that leverages mass timber to support a more sustainable, human-centered built environment. Envisioned as a long-term home for the project partners—including Dick Clark + Associates, Swinerton, and Lindgren Development—this mass timber structure will host a mix of creative office space, retail, and restaurants, and is supported by a 31,000-square-foot underground parking structure.

As DC+A’s first mass timber project, Workbench is tailored to both their creative identity and operational needs. Timberlab provided full delegated design services for the timber structure, including glulam and CLT member sizing, connection detailing, and integrated engineering coordination. Design efforts began in early 2023, with a focus on incorporating complex systems into a clean, expressive timber structure. Timberlab worked closely with the design and construction teams to address unique project challenges, such as dropped girders, wood-bearing connections, and a sandwiched double-column system, which required tight dimensional tolerances across all trades.