Taking Hardwoods' Story Directly to the Decision Makers: American Hardwood In Architecture

One of the key findings to emerge from the Wood Truth Task Force’s ongoing work is that the hardwood industry must be present where material decisions are being made.

Architects, designers, builders, developers, and consumers are constantly evaluating materials based on sustainability, durability, maintenance, embodied carbon, and performance. If hardwood is absent from those conversations, competing products often define the narrative.

Through Real American Hardwood®, NHLA and its industry partners are working to ensure hardwood’s story is represented in the design and construction communities. This spring, Real American Hardwood® expanded its presence at three influential industry events—the International Mass Timber Conference, High Point Market, and HD Expo + Conference—engaging directly with architects, designers, manufacturers, developers, and specifiers.

While each event served a different audience, all three provided opportunities to connect with the professionals who influence material selection and product specification decisions.

Bringing Hardwood into the Mass Timber Conversation At the International Mass

Timber Conference in Portland, Oregon, Real American Hardwood® participated alongside leaders exploring the future of sustainable construction, timber innovation, and low-carbon building systems.

Historically, mass timber conversations have centered on softwood species and engineered wood products. However, growing interest in hybrid systems, interior applications, finish materials, biophilic design, and hardwood structural possibilities is creating new opportunities for American hardwood manufacturers and researchers.

Discussions throughout the conference focused on embodied carbon, domestic sourcing, healthy buildings, and long-term durability—topics that increasingly influence material selection decisions in commercial construction. Participation allowed Real American Hardwood® to engage directly with architects, engineers, developers, and manufacturers evaluating wood products for future projects.

The event also reinforced hardwood’s place within broader conversations about sustainable building innovation and highlighted opportunities to expand hardwood’s role within emerging construction markets.

Meeting Designers Where Trends Begin

While mass timber focuses on large-scale construction, High Point Market remains one of the most influential gatherings in residential furniture and interior design.

There, Real American Hardwood® engaged with furniture manufacturers, interior designers, stylists, and trend forecasters working at the forefront of consumer preferences and home design trends.

In partnership with the International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) and Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc., Real American Hardwood® hosted The Power of Hardwood: Craft, Performance & Purpose in Modern Design, a panel discussion exploring hardwood’s role in contemporary interiors.

Panelists—including Justin Binnix of Century Furniture, designer and author Scott Coley, MENO HOME founder Jerri Hobdy, and award-winning designer-maker Jeremy Kamiya—discussed craftsmanship, material authenticity, sustainability, and consumers’ growing preference for products designed with permanence in mind rather than disposability.

Those themes mirror many of the challenges facing hardwood manufacturers as competing materials continue to position themselves as wood alternatives. The discussion provided an opportunity to highlight the characteristics that distinguish genuine hardwood, including longevity, repairability, and natural beauty.

Following the panel discussion, attendees participated in The Hardwood Design Experience, a curated showroom tour featuring Century, Gat Creek, and Simply Amish. The tour highlighted how hardwood is specified, crafted, and incorporated into modern interiors while showcasing construction methods, material selection, sustainability, and emerging design trends.

For many attendees, the experience provided a firsthand look at the craftsmanship and performance qualities that continue to make hardwood a preferred material in furniture and interior design.

Expanding Hardwood’s Influence in Hospitality

At HD Expo + Conference in Las Vegas, Real American Hardwood® entered another important market segment: hospitality and commercial interiors.

Hospitality designers often influence broader design trends that eventually shape multifamily housing, workplace environments, and residential design. Material selections within this sector are frequently driven by durability, maintenance requirements, sustainability goals, and guest experience.

By participating in HD Expo, Real American Hardwood® engaged directly with hospitality designers and specifiers evaluating materials for commercial projects. Conversations focused on hardwood’s performance, longevity, environmental benefits, and ability to contribute to wellness-focused, human-centered spaces.

The event also provided insight into the priorities shaping commercial design today, including sustainability, authenticity, biophilic design, and long-term material value—areas where hardwood continues to offer distinct advantages.

Advancing the Mission

Together, these events reached architects, designers, developers, manufacturers, and specifiers at multiple points in the decision-making process. Whether the conversation centered on mass timber, furniture design, or hospitality interiors, the objective was the same: ensure that professionals evaluating materials have direct access to accurate information about American hardwood and its role in sustainable, high-performance design.

As the Wood Truth Task Force continues evaluating strategies to strengthen demand for genuine hardwood products, outreach through Real American Hardwood® remains one of the industry’s most effective tools for engaging the audiences who ultimately influence material selection decisions.