Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science.
As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.
Scheduled for completion next January, the four-story building is designed (by Perkins&Will) to achieve net-zero energy and carbon, and a 74% reduction in outdoor water use. All of the building’s electricity will be drawn from rooftop solar panels, and that onsite energy generation and storage are expected to achieve a 63% reduction in embodied carbon and 100% reduction in operational carbon.
Western is also targeting Living Building Challenge Energy Petal certification. An element of that pursuit is the decision to use mass timber and cross-laminated timber construction. The glulam beams and columns, and CLT decks, were harvested sustainably.
“We’re not just building a facility; we’re crafting a sustainable legacy for future generations,” says Michael Harder, Vice President and General Manager for Mortenson’s Seattle office. Mortenson is the CM and GC on this project. Other building team members include McLennan Design (consulting architect), Coughlin Porter Lundeen (SE), KPFF (consulting engineers), Hargis Engineers (EE), Affiliated Engineers (M/PE), McKinstry (mechanical contractor and CM), VECA (electrical contractor and CM), Associated Earth Sciences (geothermal engineer), The Greenbush Group (acoustics and elevator consultant), and Berger Partnership (landscape architect).
The mass timber is being supplied by British Columbia-based Kalesnikoff, which last month opened its third production facility. The hall’s $73.6 million construction cost is being financed by public and private funds, and the building will be one of the first publicly funded zero-energy academic facilities in the region.
Once completed, Kaiser Borsari Hall will be surrounded by existing STEM programs and connected via skybridge to Western’s Communications Facility, 20,000 sf of which has been renovated. The hall’s courses will include the nation’s only interdisciplinary undergraduate energy program.
Related Stories
Mass Timber | Feb 21, 2024
The future of mass timber construction will depend on codes, costs, and climate change
Hines and DLR Group are moving forward on multiple projects using engineered wood.
Mass Timber | Feb 15, 2024
5 things developers should know about mass timber
Gensler's Erik Barth, architect and regional design resilience leader, shares considerations for developers when looking at mass timber solutions.
Mass Timber | Jan 2, 2024
5 ways mass timber will reshape the design of life sciences facilities
Here are five reasons why it has become increasingly evident that mass timber is ready to shape the future of laboratory spaces.
Airports | Dec 4, 2023
4 key innovations and construction trends across airport design
Here are some of the key trends Skanska is seeing in the aviation sector, from congestion solutions to sustainability.
Mass Timber | Oct 27, 2023
Five winners selected for $2 million Mass Timber Competition
Five winners were selected to share a $2 million prize in the 2023 Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon. The competition was co-sponsored by the Softwood Lumber Board and USDA Forest Service (USDA) with the intent “to demonstrate mass timber’s applications in architectural design and highlight its significant role in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.”
Mass Timber | Oct 10, 2023
New York City launches Mass Timber Studio to spur more wood construction
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) recently launched New York City Mass Timber Studio, “a technical assistance program to support active mass timber development projects in the early phases of project planning and design.”
Mass Timber | Sep 19, 2023
Five Things Construction Specialties Learned from Shaking a 10-Story Building
Construction Specialties (CS) is the only manufacturer in the market that can claim its modular stair system can withstand 100 earthquakes. Thanks to extensive practical testing conducted this spring at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) on the tallest building ever to be seismically tested, CS has identified five significant insights that will impact all future research and development in stair solutions.
Mass Timber | Sep 1, 2023
Community-driven library project brings CLT to La Conner, Wash.
The project, designed by Seattle-based architecture firm BuildingWork, was conceived with the history and culture of the local Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in mind.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Mass Timber | Jun 13, 2023
Mass timber construction featured in two-story mixed-use art gallery and wine bar in Silicon Valley
The Edes Building, a two-story art gallery and wine bar in the Silicon Valley community of Morgan Hill, will prominently feature mass timber. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam posts and beams were specified for aesthetics, biophilic properties, and a reduced carbon footprint compared to concrete and steel alternatives.
