Oregon State University Soon to Be Home to First Experimental Lab Made Exclusively of Mass Timber

Portland Oregon-based ZGF Architects and Oregon State University’s College of Forestry are working together to build a $213 million experimental research lab made out of mass ply panels. Which they describe as a new type of engineered wood that is stronger than cross-laminated timber and lighter than steel. When complete it will be one of the world’s most technically advanced research labs

The green switch is challenging the status quo – which has seen concrete used for decades to build laboratories, making them cold, harsh places. However, that’s changing. “Mass timber, a growing alternative to concrete and steel, promises not only superior sustainability at a competitive cost but also an opportunity to embrace a new aesthetic,” ZGF said.

Known as Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex, the 3-story, 143,000-square-foot building features a structural bay in the lab interiors comprising mass timber columns, beams, and a composite deck, which provides lab technicians with the structural stability necessary to use scientific equipment.

According to Vladimir Pajkic, a ZGF partner and the project’s lead designer, mass timber is ideal for research and institutional buildings: “We discovered throughout planning that with careful coordination between the structure and building systems, mass timber works really well for research buildings,” Vladimir Pajkic said.

The new complex, located on the grounds of Oregan State University, broke ground in April and will become a research hub for climate science, clean energy, and water resources. It will focus on the booming fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, and material science.