Cincinnati Public Radio

Recording and broadcast studios have historically relied on concrete and steel construction. But when Cincinnati Public Radio (CPR) needed a new home, they wanted something different—a building that met their technical requirements while reinforcing their commitment to sustainability and community. They wanted to create a “cultural living room” for the people of Cincinnati and a healthy place for employees to work. The design team chose mass timber.

To reflect CPR’s mission of championing transparency in journalism, the two-story, 32,000-square-foot building features a glass exterior, which clearly exposes the glulam columns and beams, and CLT floors, walls, and roof panels inside. The facility includes offices and collaboration zones, a large public gathering hall with a performance stage, and specialized studio environments, including two on-air studios, two interview studios, and a large ensemble recording studio. Simple connections and strategically-positioned mass timber stairs turn core elements like CLT shear walls into sculptural features while efficiently meeting fire protection requirements.

Acoustics were a primary design driver, shaping the volume of the space, hierarchy of materials, and geometries that govern how sound is absorbed, reflected, and diffused. The team integrated numerous control strategies into the timber structure, calibrating panel depths, connection detailing, and system stiffness to minimize sound and vibration transmission. They also incorporated a radiant floor heating and cooling system that is essentially noiseless. The decision gives the space a warm and intimate acoustic signature, and the absence of ductwork leaves visual focus on the exposed wood interiors.