Mass Timber Schools
Overview
There are already over 30 schools, facility expansions and projects using mass timber in Washington state. From portables in Toppenish to a large elementary and middle school in Seattle, school districts all over the state are choosing mass timber. It doesn't matter if you're a large district like Seattle or a small, rural district in La Push, mass timber has advantages over traditional steel and concrete construction. We are here to help connect you with resources to explore if mass timber could be the right choice for your district.
For the wellbeing of students, teachers, and administrators across Washington, we are working to establish mass timber as a primary choice for K-12 school construction in Washington and nationally. This accelerator is designed to: (1) enable school districts in Washington, and nationally, to confidently say yes to building new facilities with mass timber, and (2) reduce friction during the project delivery process.
Our vision: 50 school districts committing to mass timber by 2028, and 50 new mass timber school projects underway by 2038.
Healthier, Higher Performing, and Faster with Mass Timber
Health & Performance
What environment optimizes cognitive function (learning, memory, emotion, communication, and social intelligence) in a child? With Americans spending more than 90% of our time indoors, and children spending the majority of their waking hours in school, it is vital that our educational facilities support health, wellbeing and performance. We know that our environment directly impacts our health, that the presence of wood helps reduce stress, blood pressure and heart rate and allows for more creativity and productivity. (Mass Timber Schools: Wellness in Wood - Mithun)
Economic Advantage
Buildings constructed with prefabricated mass timber structures save 20-30% in overall construction schedule compared to steel and concrete construction. In some cases, the use of mass timber has allowed districts to move into a new building a full year earlier than originally anticipated, or to deliver on a tight schedule. Sourcing mass timber from local PNW manufacturers avoids tariffs associated with other systems that are manufactured internationally.
Once occupied, the new mass timber building offers superior energy efficiency, as solid timber construction provides thermal insulation, keeping conditioned air inside.
Forest Ecosystem Health
Central and Eastern WA have millions of acres needing treatment to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest structure, and mass timber creates markets for restoration thinning of small & over-dense stands. When there’s a paying outlet for small-diameter logs (e.g., mass timber products such as CLT/GLT), more acres are treated, exactly what Washington’s 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan calls for. (20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan: Central and Eastern Washington | Department of Natural Resources)
Rural Economic Development
Mass timber manufacturing in rural communities such as Colville, the Spokane Valley, and Port Angeles creates good paying, quality jobs that support the local economy. Mass timber plants bring capital investment in rural areas (mill retrofits, fabrication shops, shipping/rail infrastructure), and contribute to property and sales taxes that support schools, fire districts, and local services.
When mass timber is produced using small-diameter logs from Washington’s forests, forest restoration becomes financially sustainable, keeping more forestry and land management dollars in rural communities rather than relying only on state/federal subsidies.
Examples of Washington's mass timber schools:
Washington School for the Deaf. Vancouver, WA.
Quileute Tribal School. LaPush, WA.
Kellogg Middle School. Shoreline, WA.
McLaughlin Middle School & Marshall Elementary School. Vancouver, WA.
For School Districts:
Do you represent a school district in Washington that is planning to refurbish, expand, or build new educational facilities in the next five to ten years? Our team is here to support you on that journey, from master planning to operation.
In this project, we will distill lessons learned from mass timber school projects across the region, highlight best practices and resources to support school districts in decision making, and create a toolkit that will give you the confidence to build your next facility with mass timber.
If you would like to schedule a meeting with our Mass Timber Schools expert committee, please contact us at erica@wamasstimber.org.
This project is funded by the US Forest Service, through a Wood Innovation Grant.
Related Resources
Acoustic Testing for Washington School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth
This report summarizes acoustic testing at the Washington School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WSD) conducted by LSTN Consultants (Denis Blount and Leah Guszkowski) on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Detailed test reports are attached as appendices to this document. The intent of the testing was to measure the in-situ acoustic performance of various mass timber floor-ceiling assemblies throughout the campus’ newly completed facilities. The building was designed by Mithun (architect), PCS Structural Solutions (structural engineer) and A3 Acoustics (acoustic consultant).
Light Wood-Frame and Mass Timber Educational Buildings
Provides information on incorporating mass timber in educational facilities and includes relevant case studies.
United States Forest Services (USFS) Wood Innovation Report: Multi-story Mass Timber K-12 Schools
Studies the possibilities in multi-story mass timber construction for K-12 schools in Washington to support the demand for additional learning spaces that are adaptable to changing educational needs, are financially viable, and promote resilience.
Wood Use in British Columbia Schools
Commissioned by Forestry Innovation Investment, a Crown agency responsible for promoting the BC forest industry, the report is intended to be a resource for school districts, administrators, and design professionals curious about the use of wood in school design and construction.