Interdisciplinary Mass Timber Workshop at Oregon State University Explores Practical Design-Build Strategies
The workshop centered on a practical design-build exercise that enabled faculty to design a small-scale mass timber pavilion, integrating design thinking with fabrication and constructability considerations. The 14 faculty members from 12 institutions gained experience with advanced software to model the structure in 3D, including CAD software, MasterCAM, DDX, U.S. Crane, and Biesse Uniteam UT 9 5-axis CNC processing center. Faculty also fabricated CLT components with a high-tech CNC machine at the A.A. “Red” Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory.
The highlight of the workshop was assembling the CLT panels to create the final structure, which was temporarily displayed on campus at OSU. The structure was transported to Washington State University, in Pullman, WA, where it will be permanently displayed.
“The TDI workshop was an excellent experience that gives participants an opportunity to work directly with Mass Timber,” said Hannibal Newsom, Assistant Professor of Architecture at Syracuse University. “In three days, I went from having studied but never seen CLT to fabricating a full scale CLT pavilion. A dynamic, challenging, and rewarding experience.”
Think Wood supports the ongoing development of university-level wood-focused design education, enabling faculty to use the learnings and experiences gained in the workshop to develop timber-forward coursework for the next generation of design professionals.
