Conference Presentations

Despite growing interest among campuses in mass timber construction, there is a sea of conflicting information about the potential benefits and downsides of building with wood. For the first time, University of California (UC), Berkeley is using mass timber to construct a new undergraduate academic building. This session will explore the process for determining whether this project was a cost-effective strategy for achieving carbon reduction and resilience. Decision making has become incredibly nuanced, and while the understanding of global carbon emissions continues to evolve, we'll share the key opportunities a project team must consider in regards mass timber on campus.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify embodied carbon drivers and reduction strategies for various types of academic buildings.
2. Evaluate the suitability of building with mass timber in California, especially in close proximity to the Hayward Fault.
3. Integrate whole building life cycle assessment early into a project to achieve the greatest reduction in carbon emissions and select the most appropriate building methodology.
4. Prioritize developing strategies for evaluating mass timber early in the project using structural optimization and whole-building cost analysis.

Presenters:

Masume Dana, Principal, Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Inc.
Claire Maxfield, Director, Atelier Ten
Robert Smith, Principal, LMN Architects
Valerie Zylla, Project Manager, University of California-Berkeley

Delivered 04/03/2025.

EVENT REGISTRANTS ONLY
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