<p>On this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, Gordon Lamphere sits down with Justin Den Herder, structural engineer, professor at The Cooper Union, and principal at global engineering firm TY Lin, to unpack what mass timber really means for commercial real estate.</p><p>They dig into how mass timber moves from romantic concept to bankable project, why embodied carbon is finally showing up in real underwriting conversations, and how timber can make adaptive reuse deals pencil out in a tighter capital markets environment.</p><p>In this episode, Gordon and Justin discuss </p><p>• How Justin’s early work on heavy timber and masonry conversions led him into the world of mass timber </p><p>• Why timber’s strength-to-weight ratio and panelized fabrication make taller, column-free commercial buildings possible </p><p>• The embodied carbon math behind steel, concrete, and timber, and why forests matter to your next pro forma </p><p>• Real-world case studies like Hines’ T3, Brock Commons, Ascent in Milwaukee, and Amherst College’s mass timber overbuild </p><p>• Fire, moisture, and code issues that still spook lenders and insurers, and what the data actually shows </p><p>• How biophilic, exposed timber structures can boost tenant experience, retention, and long term asset value </p><p>• What developers and investors most often get wrong about cost premiums and risk</p><p>About Justin Den Herder: Justin is a structural engineer, professor at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and a principal at TY Lin. His work spans adaptive reuse, campus and civic projects, and cutting-edge mass timber structures that link healthy forests to lower carbon buildings.</p><p>If you are a developer, investor, architect, or <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.vvco.com">commercial real estate agent</a> looking for an alternative to traditional construction, this conversation will change how you think about structure, sustainability, and value creation.</p><p>If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a five-star rating and review, and share The Real Finds Podcast with a colleague. You can find us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.</p>