Thank you for visiting the MASSTAC Schools Hub! Undergirding this webpage is a community working toward a future in which school facilities promote health and performance.
Research shows that being surrounded by wood has positive effects on our physiology, reducing blood pressure and heart rate and activating the parasympathetic nervous system to improve our attention and focus and create a feeling of calm. Mass timber structures built from products such as Glulam and Cross Laminated Timber give us an opportunity to choose health for our kids. Furthermore, the prefabricated nature of mass timber means we can save time delivering new facilities. And, the use of regional forest products is critical to long-term forest health.
And yet, mass timber is not the easy button! There are challenges to delivering a mass timber school – particularly when education budgets are already far-too low. That’s why we’re here. To help school districts understand the potential for mass timber in their community, and to reduce friction during the project delivery process with a set of resources tools that facilities directors can use in real-time when developing new facilities.
We invite you to meet our community, review existing resources and tell us what’s missing, take a peek at mass timber school projects in the region, and reach out to join our effort!
Developed with the Mass Timber Schools Committee, this book features a selection of mass timber schools in construction and in design throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Mass timber schools deliver so many benefits to our communities–beautiful, healthy buildings for our students, and a brighter future for our forests and rural communities that look after them.
Building with regionally sourced mass timber - and all other sustainable forest products - supports forest health.
Mass timber schools are delivered faster than traditional projects, allowing students to move into a new building sooner.
The presence of wood in our indoor environments creates a sense of calm, promoting health and performance.
Seattle, WA
The 214,000 square foot replacement of Evergreen High School creates a safe, engaging, and supportive environment for students.
Vancouver, WA
Designed to foster visual communication and accessibility, the project emphasizes open sightlines, natural light, and vibration-sensitive flooring to enhance learning and social interaction.
Vancouver, WA
The building’s design supports a project-based, collaborative learning model, with fabrication workshops, science and robotics labs, art and media studios, and a central commons.
