Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Building With Wood

  • 03/01/18

Designing and building with wood provides a solution to some of the common challenges that come with education building projects—from tight timelines and limited budgets to stringent safety requirements and high standards for sustainability. Schools are placing a premium on organic materials, sustainability, and brighter, more flexible, open-layout interiors—all areas where wood construction thrives.

At the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, wood saved $15 per square foot on one student housing project, Spartan Village Phase I, compared to a metal and concrete alternative. Designed by Lord, Aeck Sargent, the 385,000-square-foot building provides 800 new student beds while creating a new neighborhood that sets the tone for future mixed-use developments.

Wood also offers several advantages where student housing is being added to existing neighborhoods. Multi-story wood structures meet residential code requirements and adhere to required safety and structural performance guidelines for urban infill buildings. Plus, infill real estate often carries a premium price, so the economic advantage gained by building multiple stories of wood over a podium-type structure may be the only way a project can work financially.

At the same time, educational institutions are increasingly using mixed-use projects to add vital businesses to surrounding neighborhoods. At the University of Washington, Mahlum Architects made the most of the urban Seattle location for a five-building project known as West Campus Student Housing – Phase 1, designing each building with five stories of wood-frame construction over a two-story concrete podium. Constructed for $177 per square foot, the award-winning development includes ground-floor amenities such as a grocery store, conference center, and fitness center.

Think Wood is an initiative of the Softwood Lumber Board that provides guidance to ensure safe, predictable, and economical use of softwood lumber in multi-family and non-residential building applications. To learn more, visit ThinkWood.com.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management March 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • California K–12 District Finishes Renovations on Multi-Sport Stadium

    The Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) in Alameda, Calif., recently announced the completion of a renovation project on the Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School stadium, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) and Bothman Construction on the facility, and funding came from Bond Measure B.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.