Mass Timber Modular School

This studio was focused on innovative uses of mass timber structural materials and systems in schools and explored the design of modular classrooms and larger programmatic elements. While there is potential for mass timber to be used for the mass production of modular units, in order for these units to be cost-competitive they need to replace construction of steel and concrete rather than wood stick frame. While modular mass timber housing construction has had some success in Europe, construction standards and building culture in the United States are very different. With few areas in Oregon in which housing is likely to be built over six stories tall or in large-scale developments, we thought that mass timber panels, which are so well-suited to customizable pre-fabrication through digital manufacturing, could find an alternative economically feasible venue in school construction.