Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions

Building Design + Construction
May 31, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Washington is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices. Scheduled for completion next January, the four-story building is designed by Perkins&Will to achieve net-zero energy and carbon, and a 74% reduction in outdoor water use. …Western is also targeting Living Building Challenge Energy Petal certification. An element of that pursuit is the decision to use mass timber and cross-laminated timber construction. The glulam beams and columns, and CLT decks, were harvested sustainably. …The mass timber is being supplied by British Columbia-based Kalesnikoff.

Read More