This new laboratory serves as the headquarters for the TallWood Design Institute, a model of education and research for Oregon’s growing expertise in engineered wood products and mass timber construction. It is also an integral component of the Oregon Forest Science Complex at OSU’s Corvallis campus.

Because of the building’s function, the project team chose mass timber panels and large-span timber structural elements to house high-tech manufacturing and robotics equipment. Mass plywood panels form the shear walls; their use contributed to a faster erection time. With industry partners providing in-kind material donations, the design team had to modify some plans in order to integrate the donated products. Collaboration between the contractor and design team kept the project on schedule while they reworked the original design, which exceeded the owner’s budget. The joint efforts reduced project costs by more than $3 million without losing key functions.

Back to ENR Northwest's 2020 Regional Best Projects