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A proposed eight-story, mixed-use building in Northeast Portland could be constructed using a wood product that’s suitable for taller structures.

Carbon12, a proposed residential development at 12 N.E. Fremont St., would include eight stories of cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction over a concrete basement, according to plans submitted to the city by Portland-based Kaiser Group and PATH Architecture. The Portland Design Commission on Thursday is scheduled to offer feedback on the project at a design advice request hearing.

The proposed 85-foot-tall Carbon12 development would be significantly larger than the only CLT project approved in Portland 鈥� a small, single-story Oregon Zoo structure, designed by SRG Partnership. The roof of the 2,000-square-foot building was constructed using CLT panels, which are manufactured with lumber glued in opposite directions to form a solid slab for walls, floors or ceilings.

Plans for Carbon12 include 2,705-square-feet of retail space on the ground floor, 14 condos on the upper floors and a basement with resident storage spaces and 22 stalls of mechanized parking.

The project’s prominent use of CLT will highlight the product as an environmentally friendly construction method, according to a statement from PATH Architecture in the design advice request filed with the city’s Bureau of Development Services.

鈥淭he timber industry is experiencing its own rebirth due to a push for sustainable building and advances in wood product manufacturing,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淐arbon12 showcases cross-laminated timber, the new growth of wood construction.鈥�

CLT has gained popularity in Europe and Canada over the past 20 years as a sustainable building material. The product has been touted as a safe alternative to steel and concrete for building high-rise structures out of timber because it is more fire-resistant than traditional wood-frame construction.

But it’s still relatively unused in U.S. despite federal promotion of its benefits and growing interest from the design and construction industries. In Oregon, the product has been endorsed by former governor John Kitzhaber as a means to support the state’s timber industry.

One challenge for Carbon12 to gain city approval is Portland’s building code. The code doesn’t contain language regarding CLT and the project architect and engineer would have to prove it can meet fire safety and seismic requirements.

The 2015 International Building Code 听will be to recognize CLT, however. This could streamline the acceptance of CLT buildings, according to timber industry groups.

The Carbon12 project could be constructed using CLT produced by a Southern Oregon mill instead of importing the product from Canada or Europe. Last fall, Riddle-based DR Johnson Lumber Co. announced a partnership with Oregon State University researchers to pilot the manufacture of structural-grade CLT. PATH Architecture plans to partner with DR Johnson on the Carbon12 project, according to a statement issued by the firm.

鈥淲ith Carbon12 as a beacon of wood at the gateway to North Portland, fortified by the timber framed office towers across the street, we will provide energy for wood construction buildings and encourage growth in the industry,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淭his is will be the epicenter of the wood construction conversation.鈥�

Thursday’s design commission meeting that has Carbon12 on the agenda is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. in Room 2500A at 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave.

Commission Co-Chairman Ben Kaiser is the owner and principal of Kaiser Group and PATH Architecture.