WASHINGTON STATE — Higher education owners are increasingly evaluating building performance, embodied carbon and long-term operating costs alongside upfront construction budgets. Kaiser Borsari Hall at Western Washington University demonstrates how those considerations can be incorporated into structural, mechanical and construction decisions, with Mortenson serving as GC/CM for the four-story Electrical Engineering and Computer Science facility. The building opened in early 2025 and has since completed an operational performance audit. It achieved Zero Carbon and Zero Energy certification through the International Living Future Institute after meeting its performance requirements. …Kaiser Borsari Hall incorporates cross-laminated timber panels and glued laminated timber beams and columns. The structure’s lower weight also allowed the project team to reduce the foundation footprint through the use of aggregate piers and less concrete and steel in the seismic system. …The project also incorporated Shou Sugi Ban wood siding, a traditional charring technique intended to improve the exterior material’s durability.