Portland, OR, School Modernization Project Breaks Ground With Mass Timber Design

Skanska broke ground June 12 on the modernization of Cleveland High School for Portland Public Schools. Construction is expected to begin in July and be completed in summer 2029.

Designed by Mahlum Architects and Studio Petretti, the new school will incorporate nearly 870,000 board feet of Pacific Northwest-sourced mass timber. The project is one of the largest K–12 mass timber projects in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest and the first school in the area designed to the Type IV Heavy Timber construction standard.

The structure will combine acoustic dowel laminated timber decking, glulam beams and columns, structural steel, and low-carbon concrete. The project team is targeting an Energy Use Index of 30 kBtu per square foot per year, pursuing LEED Gold certification, and exploring Oregon Green Energy Technology credits.

Several major components will be prefabricated, including exterior wall systems, roof panels, and long-span steel trusses for the gymnasium and theater spaces. The roof panels will arrive on site preassembled with a temporary vapor barrier membrane to help accelerate installation and reduce weather-related impacts.

The south building, which includes two gymnasiums, will be designed to a Risk Category IV structural standard. Certain building systems will also include emergency backup power so portions of the campus can remain operational during emergency events.