Demonstrated engineering agility, adapting to an established program. As the building was designed and the massing was approved when we joined the team, we carefully evaluated whether mass timber could fit into the set budget and design.
Full of dramatic roof slopes, complexities, and changing levels, the structural design supports the architectural vision and allowed the building to be built as conceived.
Respecting the budget and building complexities, we carefully selected locations for exposed mass timber. Classroom wings feature CLT floors and roofs plus post and beam construction, achieving the warm, wood tones desired by the design team. And finally, the spanning capability of the CLT panels economize the post and beam framing, minimizing the piece count and maintaining an efficient CLT panel thickness that fit within the architect’s preset geometry.
The floor deck system is an impressive project standout. Creative engineering resulted in a thin deck, reduced spans, and resourceful use of cantilevered CLT panels. Rotating the beam framing and cantilevering the panel end resulted in economized CLT panels with reduced back spans – a different column and beam layout. Instead of manufacturing a custom panel, costs were kept low by selecting a “universal” panel size (5-ply stock) and working within its confines. Ultimately, the team economized the panel without increasing the number of beams and columns on the job.
Leveraging our network of trusted mass timber manufacturers, we joined forces with the contractor to gather competitive, accurate bids.
Served as educators and mass timber advocates by presenting proposed designs to the school district. While designs were within budget, the use of mass timber was a premium that needed to be approved by the stakeholders. Beyond designs and our recommendations as a design team, we created and shared a “Why Mass Timber” letter and a custom carbon study. The carbon study included the building’s total carbon storage, numbers translated to automobiles, and ideas for how to use the structure as a tool and teaching vessel.
Photos courtesy of Hutteball + Oremus Architecture