First CLT Constructed Hotel In U.S. Opens

Lendlease, an international property and infrastructure group, is celebrating the grand opening of the new Candlewood Suites on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. It is the first hotel in the U.S. to be completely constructed using cross laminated timber (CLT). The hotel’s ribbon cutting event highlights the partnership between the United States Army, Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels.CLT

Made of several layers of pressed lumber board stacked in alternating directions, CLT offers builders maximized strength and durability with added sustainability and conservation benefits. CLT is FSC certified, and is projected to achieve a 31% energy savings when compared to typical hotel buildings of the same size for the same climate.

The 62,688 square foot structure includes 92 guest rooms, and utilized 1,200 CLT wall panels and 200,000 CLT fasteners. It took the 11 man Lendlease crew 10 working weeks to erect the building, which is a 40% reduction in crew size and man hours, and 37% faster than conventional framing materials and methods. At the new hotel, the typical floor panel is 8 feet x 50 feet x 7 inches thick.

CLT“Lendlease embraces innovation to create the best places and deliver sustainable outcomes,” said Denis Hickey, CEO for Lendlease Americas. “The use of CLT and other integrated methodologies has made it possible to ‘do more with less’ by constructing projects faster, with less labor and safer than conventional materials and methods. Lendlease has pioneered the use of this material in Australia and the UK, and we’re excited to expand our CLT portfolio into the Americas region.”

Part of the Privatization of Army Lodging (PAL) Program, Lendlease is the owner, developer, design-builder, and asset manager for the Candlewood Suites on Redstone Arsenal, and the exclusive developer for the Department of Defense’s only lodging privatization program. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is the hotel operator. Lendlease has delivered 14 Holiday Inn Express and eight Candlewood Suites hotels throughout the United States, including the 310-room Candlewood Suites on Joint Base San Antonio, the largest in the world.