BUILDING EXPERTISE

Photo: Courtesy of Perkins+Will.

A robot at Perkins+Will’s Building Technology Lab converts complex curved designs into NLT structures.

Early adopters of newer mass timber construction techniques often face steep learning curves. To navigate this new landscape, some leading firms have committed to building wood expertise both within their firms and throughout the profession. Two of these leading firms are Perkins+Will and Hickok Cole.

The Building Technology Lab at Perkins+Will explores design-to-fabrication automation with an emphasis on low embodied energy to no-carbon assemblies. Specific focus areas include the integration of robots into the design process, structural material selection and performance optimization, climate-sensitive facade design automation, innovation in mass timber technologies, and robotic fabrication.

For one project, the Building Technology Lab used a robot to fabricate a NLT pavilion that served as Perkins+Will’s expo hall booth at Greenbuild 2018 in Chicago. The design process developed for the project allows any complexly curved digital surface to be converted into a digital array of trimmed 2-by-4s and wooden nails. Picking up one 2-by-4 at a time, the robot cuts, mills, and nails the boards together to assemble panels of NLT. These panels are erected by hand with wooden dowel connections to form the pavilion structure.

Hickok Cole seeks to educate clients, general contractors, and the general public about the benefits of mass timber as an alternative to steel and concrete.

“Hickok Cole wants to challenge people’s perception of what is possible with the material of wood in order to establish itself as a regional leader in mass timber design and construction,” says Sean McTaggart, AIA, LEED Green Associate, for Hickok Cole.

The firm’s iLab program provides microgrants for designers to research and apply emerging concepts and technologies. One end result of this program is Timber Towers in Philadelphia, which is the firm’s vision of “building tall” with wood in order to combat climate change on a large scale. Hickok Cole is also working with the Softwood Lumber Board and the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and the Environment to build a mass timber ranger station on Kingman Island in Washington, D.C.

“No matter the size of the project, we recognize that the time has come for architects to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint, minimize waste, and truly rethink the construction process,” McTaggart says.

Firms can also benefit from having material experts to draw from when considering different types of projects. In many cases, firms rely on structural engineers. In the case of wood, WoodWorks and the American Wood Council provide project consulting and code expertise. Staffed by regional architects and engineers, WoodWorks offers project support from design through construction at no cost.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN INNOVATION CENTER

Photo: © Tim Griffith

The CLT and glulam structure at the Rocky Mountain Institute helps capture carbon and reduce energy demand while creating a healthy, inspiring interior space for occupants.

Location: Basalt, Colorado
Architect: ZGF Architects
Structural Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers

The Rocky Mountain Institute calls its new 15,600-sqare-foot office building in Basalt, Colorado, “a physical manifestation of the organization’s work and values.” It demonstrates resource and energy efficiency along with innovative high-performance construction techniques.

Here, the overarching goals included creating a building that is not only exceptionally energy efficient but also one that would inspire other developers and owners to build similarly sized office buildings with significantly reduced energy demand.

The super-insulated building envelope utilizes a hybrid construction with both light wood framing and mass timber elements. The roof and exterior walls are made with structural insulated panels (SIPs), while the floors are constructed with CLT panels manufactured from trees killed by the mountain pine beetle. The 4-foot-wide CLT panels are centered on a row of glulam columns spaced every 20 feet. A secondary layer of CLT panels spans the opposite direction, forming the substrate for a concrete topping layer. A chase below the CLT panels houses mechanical and plumbing equipment and is easily accessible for maintenance.

These systems were energy efficient and easy for trades to work with, allowing the structure and envelope to be constructed quickly which, in this cold climate, was necessary because of the short construction window. The project was completed early and under budget.

Inside, the light-filled, comfortable environment connects occupants to nature. The exposed CLT and glulam structure celebrates the natural resources of the region while the balanced neutral palette maximizes light reflection and minimizes eye strain, and the exposed wood elements did not require finishes.

According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, the new net-zero energy building is the most energy-efficient building located in climate zone 7 in North America; it uses 74 percent less energy than similar office buildings in that same zone and cost only 10 percent more to build.

The project has garnered praise and earned several green building certifications, including LEED Platinum, Living Building Challenge Petal Certified, and Passive House.

End Notes

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⁴ McClain, Ricky. “Getting Down to Business: The Cost/Value Proposition of Timber Offices.” WoodWorks Wood Products Council. 10 Sep. 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

⁵ Jackson, Robert et al. “Mass Timber: Knowing Your Options.” Structure. January 2017. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

⁶ “Inspiration through Innovation.” WoodWorks Wood Products Council. 2017. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

⁷ Pyati, Archana “Faster Project Delivery Is a Hidden Feature of Sustainable Mass Timber.” Urban Land Institute. 3 May 2017. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

⁸ “Glulam.” APA – The Engineered Wood Association. 15 Sep. 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

⁹ Gu, Hongmei and Bergman, Richard. “Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Building Declaration for the Design Building at the University of Massachusetts.” General Technical Report FPL–GTR–255. Forest Products Laboratory. February 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

¹⁰ Smith, Ryan and Kretschmann, David E. “Solid Timber from Blue Stain Beetle Killed Ponderosa Pine: Phase 1.” Research in Progress RIP-471-026. Forest Products Laboratory and University of Utah. USDA Forest Service. September 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

¹¹ Bysheim, Kristian et al. “Building materials and wellbeing in indoor environments.” Report No. 88. Wood2Know. Norsk Treteknisk Institutt. March 2016. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

¹² Nyrud, Anders Q. and Bringslimark, Tina. “Is interior wood use psychologically beneficial? A review of psychological responses toward wood.” Wood and Fiber Science. April 2010. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

¹³ “Which Building Materials Can Block Wi-Fi Signals?” EyeSaaS. 15 Sep. 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

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¹⁵ “Precision Fabrication.” Lever Architecture. September 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

¹⁶ “Construction Advantages Sell Hotel Developer on CLT.” WoodWorks Wood Products Council. Web. 14 Nov. 2018.

¹⁷ “ULI Case Studies: One North.” Urban Land Institute. September 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

¹⁸ Slowey, Kim. “The next wave of design: Why wellness minded spaces are on the rise.” Construction Dive. 26 Jan. 2017. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

¹⁹ Grauerholz, Mary. “High-performance, energy-efficient homes dominate millennial real estate market.” U.S. Green Building Council. Spring 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

²⁰ Ulrich, RS. “View through a window may influence recovery from surgery.” U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Institute of Health. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

²¹ Lerner, Abby and Stopka, Mike. “The Financial Benefits of Biophilic Design in the Workplace: A Review and Summary of Current Research.” Mist Environment. 1 July 2016. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

²² Fell, David. “Wood and Human Health.” FP Innovations. September 2018. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

²³ Berninger, Michelle. “T3 Becomes First Wired Certified Building in Minneapolis.” High-Tech Buildings Press Release. WiredScore. 13 Oct. 2015. Web. 8 Nov. 2018.

²⁴ ”Breaking Convention with Wood Offices.” WoodWorks Wood Products Council. Web. 14 Nov. 2018.

Juliet Grable is an independent writer and editor focused on building science, resilient design, and environmental sustainability. She contributes to continuing education courses and publications through Confluence Communications. www.confluencec.com