The Conversation Plinth was the first hardwood CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) structure constructed in the United States. Unveiled at Exhibit Columbus in 2017 as part of the city-wide exploration of architecture, art, and design in Columbus, Indiana, the Conversation Plinth was an award winning proposal for an installation at the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library Plaza. As an homage to J. Irwin Miller, the city’s greatest patron responsible for transforming the city into the modern art and architecture mecca it is known for today, the Conversation Plinth was inspired by the conversation pit in the Miller House, and also takes cues from the plinths that elevate the important landmarks surrounding the site including the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library designed by I.M. Pei, the First Christian Church designed by Eliel Saarinen, and the Large Arch sculpture by Henry Moore. The pavilion offered a place for the community to come together to converse, and elevated people both literally and metaphorically. At night, the illumination from the Conversation Plinth acted as a lantern, inviting social interaction and gatherings in an otherwise unlit plaza.

The installation was made of a high-tech engineered timber product called CLT. Although CLT is typically made of softwoods, IKD, with team partners, developed a hardwood version out of mixed species, low-value grade 3 common hardwoods including oak, maple, and ash for this project. Hardwood CLT offers numerous benefits over softwood CLT, including superior mechanical properties, material volume savings, increased resistance to fire, and a higher quality appearance in visible settings. A 2017 Wood Innovation Grant by the United States Forest Service enabled IKD to develop the material, which led to the first ever commercial pressing of hardwood CLT (HCLT). IKD was the only architectural design firm to win this grant out of 114 applicants, and the Conversation Plinth acted as a valuable demonstration project that paves the way towards product certification and potential mass production.