Commendation: Oregon Forest Science Complex
Structural Designer
Equilibrium Consulting Inc
Client Name
Oregon State University
Location
Corvallis, Oregon, USA
ARCHITECT
Michael Green Architecture
PRINCIPAL CONTRACTOR
Andersen Construction
TIMBER SUPPLIER AND INSTALLER
StructureCraft
FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER
Code Unlimited
ACOUSTIC SPECIALIST
BRC Acoustics
TIMBER SUPPLIER
D.R Johnson Wood Innovations
MECHANICAL
PAE Consulting Engineers
ELECTRICAL
AEI Affiliated Engineers
Images: © 1&2 - Josh Partee, 3 - Ema Peter
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Two new university faculty buildings, including an extensive variety of classrooms, laboratories, and gathering places. The buildings include the first use of self-centering post-tensioned CLT shearwalls in North America. The Complex shows that mass timber can offer a viable alternative to traditional high-performance construction systems.
Submitted in 2021
Judge's comment:
This institutional building structure sets a new bar for contemporary timber construction founded on the first use of state-of-the-art components.
The project introduced the first self-centering post-tensioned CLT shearwalls in North America, as well as the use of timber-concrete composite elements substantiated by significant research, analysis, and on-site vibration testing.
Located in the Pacific Northwest, the seismic demands of the site are severe. Timber was well-utilised to address this, with the low-weight building material reducing seismic forces, leading to further design efficiencies and material reduction.
The project effectively demonstrates that mass timber has earned its rightful place among high-tech construction materials, offering a lower-carbon alternative to more traditional high-performance systems.