Amazon’s new delivery station in Elkhart, Indiana, looks nothing like the concrete and steel boxes that dot America’s logistics landscape. The 171,000-square-foot facility is built almost entirely from mass timber, using over 500,000 board feet of southern yellow pine to create walls and ceilings that breathe warmth into an industrial space. ZGF Architects designed the building as a living laboratory where Amazon plans to test more than 40 sustainability strategies that could reshape how the company builds its next 1,200 delivery stations worldwide.
Designer: ZGF Architects
Half a Million Board Feet Replace Steel and Concrete
The building sits on 39 acres near Elkhart Municipal Airport, employing over 200 workers who sort packages under exposed timber beams instead of fluorescent-lit concrete caves. Mass timber construction cuts carbon emissions dramatically compared to traditional methods since wood stores carbon rather than producing it during manufacturing.
The southern yellow pine came from sustainably managed forests, turning trees into structural elements that replace energy-intensive steel and concrete. Amazon isn’t just making an environmental statement. They’re gathering data on whether mass timber can handle the daily punishment of industrial operations while cutting construction costs and timelines.
Natural Light and Reclaimed Water Replace Industrial Standards
Walk inside and the differences multiply. Clerestory windows flood the space with natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting that typically accounts for massive energy bills in warehouse operations. The building features circadian lighting systems that adjust throughout the day to match natural light patterns, keeping workers alert without the harsh glare of standard industrial fixtures.
An underground rainwater reclamation system collects runoff for toilet flushing, while 170 EV charging stations prepare for an electric delivery fleet. Air-source heat pumps replace gas furnaces, and the concrete used in foundations contains significantly lower carbon content than standard mixes.
Zero Carbon Certification Could Change 1,200 Global Stations
The facility targets Zero Carbon Certification from the Living Future Institute, one of the toughest environmental standards in construction. This means the building must produce as much renewable energy as it consumes over a year. Amazon VP Daniel Mallory calls it a testing ground for technologies that will scale across the company’s global footprint.
If mass timber proves durable and cost-effective in Indiana’s humid summers and freezing winters, hundreds of similar buildings could follow. The construction industry produces nearly 40 percent of global carbon emissions, making even modest improvements at Amazon’s scale meaningful for climate impact.
The Real Test Starts Now
This isn’t Amazon’s first experiment with sustainable architecture, but it’s the first time they’ve committed mass timber to daily industrial abuse. Graycor Construction completed the project after a two-decade partnership with Amazon spanning over 30 projects in 15 states. The real test begins now as forklifts roll, packages pile, and timber faces years of wear that will determine whether wood can truly replace steel in America’s warehouse revolution.
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