What we’re about
Critical Mass (Timber) is an informal monthly gathering of professionals interested in building bigger, taller and smarter with wood. Centering around the use of relatively new-to-the-US materials such as cross-laminated-timber, our group aims to bring together architects, engineers, construction professionals, developers, code officials, municipal planners and anyone with an interest in seeing more buildings go up using renewable materials. THIS IS NOT A LECTURE SERIES! Our goal is to create an interactive discussion space in which individuals can learn from each other through sharing of personal experiences and projects they have undertaken. Facilitated by the TallWood Design Institute, a joint initiative of Oregon State University Colleges of Forestry and Engineering and University of Oregon's College of Design.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Site Tour - OSU Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex: Mass Timber MeetupOregon State University, Corvallis, OR
May's Mass Timber Meetup will feature an exclusive tour of the site of the new Jen-Hsun and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex; the newest mass timber building under construction at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR.
The Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex will be home to one of the nation's most powerful supercomputers and advance research and learning in artificial intelligence, robotics, and material science.
This tour will showcase the immense progress Oregon State University has made with mass timber buildings since the Peavy Hall construction project in 2018. Join us to hear from project leads at ZGF Architecture, KPFF Engineering, and Andersen Construction as they discuss the intricacies of the design and impact of this innovative structure.
The building features lots of exposed natural wood throughout the building, spotlighting mass plywood as a key material used throughout the design.
Dustin Sievers, a project manager at OSU shared this about the building, “One of our resiliency and sustainability efforts was to use mass plywood panels for columns and beams. Peavy Hall was built with cross-laminated timber, which we have in this building, but mass plywood is the next step forward. It’s going to be the first mass timber laboratory in North America that meets rigorous vibration criteria, which will lower the vibration transmitted through the wood structure to enable researchers to do their work on the second and third floors.”
The building is on schedule to be fully functional in early 2027.
Due to this being an active construction site, space is extremely limited (30 attendees). If you choose to RSVP for this tour, please make sure you are confident you will be able to attend. If plans do change, please alert us quickly so we can include another interested guest.
All attendees will need to sign a safety waiver and wear full PPE (provided). More specific event information and logistics will be shared with attendees closer to the event.
Read more about the project at OSU Today: today.oregonstate.edu
Photography Credit: Marcus Kauffman Photography
