View the Agenda
Book a Building Tour
Book Your Exhibit Space
Explore the Exhibit Hall
Become a Sponsor Today
View Sponsors & Partners
Call for Content
Purchase Report
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
K-12 Schools: Built Examples and Paths to Success
Oregon Ballroom 204Moderator:
Mass Timber in Schools (Washington and Other)
Mass timber is the ideal material for schools. It creates heathy interior environments that can boost academic performance, is fast to build, sustainable, and can replace high carbon emitting materials like concrete and steel. Despite mass timber’s unique benefits for schools, many challenges still exist that thwart its widespread adoption. Drawing from over a decade of mass timber K-12 experience and nearly a dozen realized schools with mass timber, Joe Mayo will share effective strategies for how to move mass timber schools beyond the concept phase and into reality.
From completed K-12 projects and several currently under construction now, learn how to create a clear path for new mass timber K-12 schools that address common concerns, misconceptions, and highlight the potential for mass timber to be the material of choice for all future high-performance learning environments.
Ann Arbor, Michigan Schools
Fayetteville, Arkansas Middle School
The Woodland Junior High School, located on the northeast side of Fayetteville, Arkansas, sits on land once dedicated to agricultural pursuits, creating a unique opportunity to blend modern educational needs with the preservation of the region’s agrarian heritage. Envisioned as a model of resource efficiency, the 140,000 sf school incorporates a wide variety of strategies to minimize environmental impact while fostering healthy, biophilic learning environments. The project is pursuing both LEED and WELL certifications, underscoring the Fayetteville Public School District’s commitment to sustainability and wellness.
At the heart of the school’s sustainability story is its innovative hybrid mass timber structure, which combines cross-laminated timber (CLT), panelized metal stud walls, and glulam columns and beams. Early collaboration with school district leadership and a robust community engagement process garnered widespread support for mass timber in early design phases, setting a strong foundation for the project’s success.
This initiative demonstrates how early partnerships and evidence-based design strategies can pave the way for integrating mass timber into K-12 schools, showcasing its feasibility, practicality, and its potential to redefine educational architecture.
What We Know Now: Applying Lessons Learned and Designing the Future of Mass Timber in K-12
With more square feet of constructed mass timber in K-12 school projects than most, Bassetti has learned some important lessons about making mass timber projects successful.
Kristian will present on the successes and challenges of several projects, and how Bassetti intends to approach future projects. Topics include: structural efficiencies, fiber quantities, moisture management, and integrating adaptability and flexibility into school designs.
