CEU Summary

Designing Modern Wood Schools

In 2019, an estimated $98 billion was spent on educational construction, including new buildings and structures as well as renovations, site work and all associated utility work. School construction, and educational facilities accounted for about 101 million square feet of the nonresidential market. Since, by 2024, U.S. schools will be required to accommodate an estimated 2.8 million more students than they do today, these numbers can only increase. There is a strong case to be made for using wood in school construction. Designing modern wood schools accommodates a growing number of students with structures that are cost effective and does so while creating high-performance buildings that are safe, resilient, and appealing. Across the United States, there is high demand for new schools.

Credit: 1 AIA LU/HSW

By the end of the course, you will be able to do the following:

  • Review provisions of the International Building Code specific to school buildings and discuss opportunities to achieve cost savings through the use of wood.
  • Discuss structural design considerations unique to school buildings, as well as framing options for floors, walls, and roofs.
  • Discuss structural design considerations unique to school buildings, as well as framing options for floors, walls, and roofs.
  • Consider how wood has been used in modern wood-frame and mass timber schools across the United States.

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