This addition to the “Big Woods Village,” located in the growing city of Westfield, Indiana, pushes the boundaries of large scale wood buildings by utilizing mass timber construction. This category of building material paired with natural stone and exterior metal paneling keeps the familiar look of Big Woods Restaurants while exploring more sustainable and cost effective construction. Through the use of these prefabricated and renewable CLT members, the structure was able to achieve the size and stability of a concrete/steel building but keep a much smaller carbon footprint than its more fossil fuel-intensive counterparts. 

This mass timber building was not only designed to be viewed from all four directions but additionally designed to be viewed from above. The building is specifically oriented on the site to face both the main street to the north as well as a popular pedestrian trail, The Monon Trail, to the west. The corner entrance with symmetrical grand timber roof overhangs was designed to attract guests from these heavily trafficked areas and invite them in to explore the site. Along the east side of the site is a busy highway overpass which will overlook the back of the building including the intricate roofscape and busy central courtyard.