Western Washington University Building Highlights Mass Timber Design

Western Washington University’s Kaiser Borsari Hall demonstrates how mass timber construction, embodied carbon reduction, and long-term building performance can be incorporated into higher education projects, Construction Owners reported (9-16-26). Mortenson served as GC/CM for the four-story Electrical Engineering and Computer Science facility.

The building opened in early 2025 and has since completed an operational performance audit. It achieved zero carbon and zero energy certification through the International Living Future Institute after meeting performance requirements.

Kaiser Borsari Hall uses CLT panels and glulam beams and columns. The project reduced embodied carbon by 79% compared with the baseline approach, while relocating an electrical room eliminated the planned basement, saving more than $2 million and avoiding 226 tons of embodied carbon.

The lighter mass timber structure also allowed the project team to reduce the foundation footprint through aggregate piers and lower concrete and steel use in the seismic system. Mortenson sourced the mass timber within 600 miles of the project site.

Prefabrication and early BIM coordination reduced construction time by 25% while helping limit waste and site traffic. The all-electric facility achieved an energy use intensity of 33.58 kBtu per square foot per year.

The project also incorporated Shou Sugi Ban wood siding, a traditional charring technique intended to improve exterior durability.