Room: D137-138

Audience: Facilities Personnel

Call to Action: 
DESIGN STRATEGIES to reduce our embodied carbon footprint by using timber and other biogenic building materials, and PLANNING TOOLS to measure the impact and guide our decisions. COLLABORATIVE STRATEGIES for how an interdisciplinary team works to maximize the value of mass timber as a building system, making it an affordable solution for educational clients and learning environments. DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES for multistory mass timber learning environments on tight sites in dense urban environments.

Abstract: As cities densify, schools are transforming vertically beyond the traditional one- and two-story conventional model. At the same time, mass timber is a compelling new option to both build taller and more sustainable, connective educational environments. In this presentation, learn how mass timber has been implemented on two Seattle schools: a 3-story full mass timber elementary school and a 4-story hybrid mass timber middle school. The Architect and General Contractor will discuss collaborative strategies used to optimize the design specifically tailored to mass timber, meet limited project budgets, navigate the constraints of building on a tight site, execute the project schedule, and provide learning environments that align to project goals and maximize value for the client and community. Vertical schools pose stringent code challenges, yet mass timber can be designed to easily navigate and often simplify these requirements. Moreover, mass timber can hybridize with traditional steel and concrete construction to offer the unique benefits of each material type. Mass timber not only celebrates the culture of the Pacific Northwest but can reduce embodied carbon impacts. Through the lens of these two schools, discover hot spots in embodied carbon emissions and methods to reduce the global warming impacts of school construction.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe why mass timber is ideal for taller multi-story schools and how to select the right building system while meeting building code requirements and avoiding common pitfalls related to mass timber.
2. Learn collaborative approaches to meet project budget constraints, coordinate with mass timber manufacturers, navigating tight urban sites, and strategies to maximize exposed mass timber elements.
3. Discuss wood sourcing options and how the use of local, biophilic materials can impart identity, promote learning, well-being, and connection to community and nature.
4. Identify the embodied carbon impacts of building materials and through specific examples choose building components that can reduce a school’s global warming potential and help mitigate climate change.