Commendation: Oregon Forest Science Complex

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.