DLR Group and real estate developer Hines have announced that they are planning to deliver their T3 (Timber, Transit, and Technology) office concept to Chicago. 

It will be the city’s first mass timber office building and, as noted in its press release, one of the first timber buildings since the Great Chicago Fire. The site is located along the Chicago River in the city’s North Branch Framework corridor. According to DLR Group, it will support the redevelopment of Chicago’s Goose Island, a 160-acre artificial island in the city’s northwest side. 

The structure will span six stories and 270,000 square feet, including spaces for work/life balance through common lounges, bike storage, a fitness center, and ground-floor retail. The building will also include private balconies and a communal rooftop deck. 

“T3 Goose Island will help turn the neighborhood into a top destination for companies looking for a leading-edge workspace,” said DLR Principal and Design Leader Stephen Cavanaugh. “Aside from its amenities, the space is elevated through the warm, exposed wood structure that attracts tenants with environmental values and an interest in employee wellbeing.”

This will join a growing list of T3 buildings across the U.S. and internationally, with two built projects, one in construction and five in various stages of design. The T3 concept was born out of the evolving wants and needs of contemporary, technology-centered workers, which was emphasized as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme seeks to combine sustainability principles with modern workplace design that appeals to today’s high-tech workforce.