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Emerging mass timber technology is changing the construction industry with multiple advantages such as reducing embodied carbon and compressing construction schedules. There is also a growing body of research proving biophilic indoor environments can improve learning outcomes and enhance student performance. Finding a way to optimize mass timber technology will afford a cost-competitive biophilic approach to design and build better schools.

Mithun principal JoAnn Hindmarsh Wilcox will present highlights from the “Building Better Schools” research effort in concert with partners Bayley Construction and PCS Structural Solutions. Join us at the NAWIC December event to learn about the team’s iterative approach in evaluating mass-timber learning environments for K-12 students, and creation of a kit-of-parts that balances efficient timber fiber volumes with the need for agile learning spaces. The results demonstrate that mass timber spaces can be cost competitive for schools when compared to a steel-framed baseline—providing warm, well-daylit interiors with exposed mass timber elements that invoke biophilic responses and significantly reduce embodied carbon impacts.

For additional information about the study and to download the final report, visit the Building Better Schools Mithun R+D page.

Date Posted: 12.16.2021