New building materials save hotel developers time and money Compartir Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print High-tech construction materials are making it easier and less expensive for developers to raise a building—even during cold winters. They can also save an operator money in the long run by improving the building’s thermal retention, keeping the spaces cooler in summer and warmer in winter while using less electricity. Cross-Laminated Timber In November, Lendlease, the developer for the United States Department of Defense’s Privatized Army Lodging portfolio, started construction on the second-ever hotel in the country built with cross-laminated timber, or CLT. By March, the timber installation was completed, and the Candlewood Suites hotel on Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y., was moving quickly toward its opening. “CLT is several layers of pressed wood or lumber board that are stacked ...