Designing with Timber

DESIGNING WITH TIMBER

INTRODUCTION Our cities have been comprised of wood buildings for centuries. Plentiful and attractive, wood was a main building material until concrete and steel took over in the twentieth century. Now mass timber is experiencing a renaissance.

Contractors, architects, and developers across the country recognize its many financial benefits, aesthetic appeal, and improved environments for occupants. As a material, timber offers structural security and sustainability.

As an investment, it provides greater appreciation and return on investment.

LRS Architects has designed with timber since its founding in 1976. Our wood projects vary in size and type, from small offices to 500,000 square foot multi-generational multifamily housing complexes. Through our decades of experience and diversity of work, we’ve gained invaluable knowledge about the intricacies of designing with timber. We are strong advocates for the use of mass timber and are well-suited to provide expertise in utilizing mass timber systems for a variety of project types.

WINGSPAN EVENT CENTER HILLSBORO, OREGON

WOOD VILLAGE MUNICIPAL BUILDING WOOD VILLAGE, OREGON

LIFEBRIDGE KIRKLAND KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON

TOWNE STORAGE PORTLAND, OREGON

PDX DISTILLERY PORTLAND, OREGON

TIMBERLAND RETAIL CENTER PORTLAND, OREGON

DESCHUTES COUNTY COURTHOUSE BEND, OREGON

THE QUARRY HILLSBORO, OREGON

AMBERGLEN HILLSBORO, OREGON

Timber Life Cycle Wood can be burned for clean energy.

Trees are a renewable resource and store carbon.

Wood products can be reused or recycled to create new products.

Manufacturing processes typically use all parts of the log, producing no waste and little pollution.

A NEW PROCESS An integrated approach to design and construction at the outset of the project is a fundamental shift in the industry—one that’s collaborative, optimized, and repeatable, reducing the risk to construction schedules and project budgets. By working closely with manufacturers and leveraging computer-aided production methods design teams can use precise and repeatable components optimized to project-specific conditions, getting mass-production efficiencies without sacrificing customization.

FEATURES & BENEFITS CARB ON SEQU ES T ERI NG

Mass timber buildings have a smaller environmental footprint relative to steel and concrete buildings.

FI RE RESI STANT

Mass timber chars to prevent massive structural failure in the event of a fire. It outperforms stick framed structures & steel structures in high temperature fires.

AESTHE TI CALLY P L EAS I NG

Rich and warm, wood materials add texture & visual interest to modern architecture.

It also provides a biophillic benefit to building occupants.

LI GHT WEI GHT AND S T RONG

Pound for pound, mass timber products are stronger than concrete and steel. It weights less and allows for reduced footings, saving concrete and rebar costs.

I NCREASES S P EED OF C ONS T RU CT I ON

Fabricated off-site to precise specifications, mass timber projects come together quickly on-site, reducing months from typical construction timelines.

ASSEMBLED OF F - S I T E

Manufactured and sent to the site, panels are created with openings for windows, doors, HVAC, etc. Off-site manufacturing can reduce 20% of on-site construction.

REDUCES L ABOR C OS TS

Required on-site skilled labor is lower for mass timber, compared to concrete and steel construction. These reduced requirements provide a significant advantage.

CRO SS-L AMI NATED TI MBER (CLT )

CLT panels are made by layering pieces of wood in alternating directions and bonded together. The panel can be as large as 65 feet by 20 feet, and is an alternative to concrete and steel in high-rise buildings.

G LUE - L AMIN ATE D TI MB ER (GLUL AM)

NAI L- L AM I NAT ED T I M BER ( NLT )

Glulam is a popular engineered wood commonly used for beams and columns. Its benefit is the stress-rated performance, with the strongest laminations sandwiching the others to better absorb stress. Stronger than steel at comparable weights, glulam is a cost efficient choice for structural spans.

NLT is created from lumber stacked and fastened together with nails into a single structural element. It can be found in many historical buildings. NLT does not require a dedicated manufacturer and it can be fabricated with readily available lumber.

HYBRI D C ONS T RU CT I ON

Hybrid Construction combines concrete and steel with a timber system, and recommended for multi-story buildings. These assemblies yield large floor spans, easier sound and fire protection performance, and faster installation.

MASS PLY WOOD PANEL (MPP)

MPP is an enegineered veneer-based wood product. Its structural attributes are indistinguishable to concrete, steel, and CLT assemblies. Additional benefits include being fire resistant, lighter in weight, less waste from harvest to construction, and ease of installation with a small labor force on-site.

CONSTRUCTION TYPES A building’s construction type dictates where and when wood systems can be used. There are five types, Type I through Type V. Types III and V have historically permitted the use of wood frame construction and are used for lowrise mass timber buildings. Recent code changes have introduced several mass timber specific sub-categories within Type IV construction, which significantly increases the allowable height and floor areas creating opportunities to construct mid-rise and high-rise mass timber structures.

TYPE

U SE

Type IV A

Mass-timber structure fully encapsulated in non-combustible, firerated protective construction, such as gypsum board.

Type IV B

Limited exposure of mass-timber structure. Majority of masstimber structure fully encapsulated in non-combustible, fire-rated protective construction, such as gypsum board.

Type IV C

Exposed mass-timber structure, except for shafts, concealed spaces, and outside face of exterior walls.

T YPE I V A - UP TO 20 STORI ES

Building Height

270 FT

Allowance Building Area

972,000 SF

Average Area Per Story

54,000 SF

T YPE I V B - UPTO 12 STO RI ES

Building Height

180 FT

Allowance Building Area

648,000 SF

Average Area Per Story

54,000 SF

T YPE I V C - UP TO 9 STO RI ES

Building Height

85 FT

Allowance Building Area

406,000 SF

Average Area Per Story

45,000 SF

S OUR C E :

Mass Timber Report https://masstimberreport.docsend.com/view/ n6c8qap47cjd99ac

ABOUT US Driven by a passion for good design and supported by endless curiosity, LRS is

PR OJE CTS FE AT UR E D IN T H E BO O K IN C LUDE : Wingspan Event & Conference Center, Hillsboro, OR Wood Village Municipal Building, Wood Village, OR

a forward-thinking architecture and interiors firm offering creative solutions and

Lifebridge Kirkland, Kirkland, WA.

transformative spaces. Our diverse portfolio of work highlights our commitment

Towne Storage, Portland, OR

to shaping the human experience through the physical environment.

PDX Distillery, Portland, OR Timberland Retail Center, Portland, OR.

A single principle encompasses all we do: design with integrity. We are your

Deschutes County Courthouse, Bend, OR.

honest project partners. We design sustainably, planning vibrant communities

The Quarry, Hillsboro, OR

and building structures to stand the test of time. Wellbeing is our top priority,

Amberglen, Hillsboro, OR

because good design isn’t just about aesthetic, but how we interact within a created space.

PH OTO C R E DIT : Mass Plywood Panel. Freres Lumber Company and Shanna Hall Photography.

BAC K C OVE R : Wood Village Municipal Building, Wood Village, OR.

720 NW DAV I S S T REE T • S U I T E 300 P ORTL AND, O REG O N 97209 • 503.221.1121 W W W.L RS ARC HI T ECTS .C O M

1777 S W C H ANDL ER AV ENU E • SUITE 270 BEND, O REG O N 97702 • 541 .668.9550