Mass Timber and the Future of Sustainable Science Buildings

Mass timber is increasingly being used in the design and construction of science buildings due to its sustainability, biophilic benefits, and potential for cost and time savings. It offers a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional concrete and steel construction and can meet the structural requirements of laboratories while creating an environment that promotes well-being among scientists and researchers.

Our presentation and panel discussion will review mass timber construction types and design and construction benefits, elaborated through two case study projects: the UMass Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences and the Princeton University Environmental Studies, Commons, and The School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Perkins Eastman’s design for a new 94,000-square-foot addition to the Manning College of Information and Computer Science embodies the school's motto "Computing for the Common Good" through innovative design that fosters collaboration and environmental stewardship. At its heart, a physical commons connects 40 new faculty members with 200 graduate and undergraduate researchers, surrounded by specialized laboratories for robotics, sensors, fabrication shops, and research facilities. The building seamlessly integrates with the existing Computer Science building to create a unified computing district at the north end of campus, establishing a dynamic ecosystem where interdisciplinary minds converge to tackle complex challenges.

Designed as a zero-emissions building targeting Net Zero Energy performance, this project represents the University's most ambitious sustainability initiative to date and serves as a model for the Commonwealth and beyond. Constructed largely of mass timber and clad in a high-performance building envelope, the building utilizes ground source heat pumps connected to a new regional district renewable energy plant for all heating and cooling needs. This holistic approach to sustainable design advances the University's carbon neutrality goals while demonstrating how academic architecture can simultaneously serve educational mission, environmental responsibility, and community engagement—creating not just a building, but a catalyst for innovation and collaboration that will inspire future sustainable campus development.

The Princeton University ES & SEAS project moves the departments of Environmental Studies (ES) and School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) out of their historic, outdated facilities and co-locates them in state-of-the-art buildings creating a new precinct for research and teaching. The four new buildings, stretched over a 17-acre site, are stitched into the existing campus circulation network to promote connectivity with other departments across campus. The design prioritizes Princeton’s goals to foster interdisciplinary collaboration at varying scales, creates a distinct identity for each department, establishes strong connections to nature, optimizes critical adjacencies, and promotes the University’s sustainability ethos. Totaling 670,000 GSF, the project provides research and teaching labs, collaboration spaces at all scales, offices and student desks, administrative suites, classrooms, event spaces, a cafeteria, and shared outdoor spaces.

The project’s conception and design are steeped in Princeton’s sustainability ethos. Passive strategies, such as solar orientation, informed initial concepts, as did the focus on biophilic design, use of natural ventilation for office spaces, connections to nature, pedestrian-oriented outdoor spaces, and an emphasis on native and adaptive low maintenance trees and plantings. The use of intensive vegetated roofs, rainwater and clearwater collection, and bioretention are a critical part of the campus’ new regional stormwater management system. The façades incorporate measures such as external shading, triple glazing at offices, and bird-safe glazing. In an effort to materially reflect the environmental research within, the facility’s hybrid structure consists of steel at the stacked laboratories, reinforced concrete at the podium, and mass timber at collaboration spaces, offices, student desks, event spaces, and an atrium. The timber components include dowel laminated timber (DLT) floor slabs and glulam columns and beams. The project is targeting LEED Gold certification.

Speakers:
Dan Arons, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Perkins Eastman
Matt Dionne, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal, Ennead Architects

Moderators:
Lois Mate, AIA, Associate Principal, Ennead Architects
Mindy No, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal, Perkins Eastman