Classrooms to Cafeterias: Mass Timber Design in Modern Schools

This course explores the growing use of mass timber in K-12 school design, with a focus on the key drivers influencing its adoption—speed of construction, sustainability, cost-efficiency, and code compliance. Attendees will gain insight into the national school construction market, understand how IBC provisions support the use of mass timber in Types III, IV, and V construction, and compare costs and building configurations across material systems.​

Additional topics include fire performance and code allowances, acoustic and durability considerations, structural design strategies for long spans in gymnasiums and cafeterias, and practical tips for space planning and integration. The session concludes with case studies that illustrate how mass timber is being successfully implemented in school projects across the country.​

Speaker:

Chelsea Drenick, SE | WoodWorks

Chelsea is a licensed structural engineer in the state of California. She received her BS in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College and MS in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. Chelsea spent nine years in structural design consulting prior to joining WoodWorks. Her experience is in a variety of sectors including residential, higher education and retrofit of existing and historic structures. She is passionate about sustainability and the use of wood as a building material to reduce the embodied carbon emissions of structures.

Credits: Attendees can earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW LU, 1.0 PDH credit or 0.1 ICC credit

Online Attendees:

• WoodWorks will send each attendee a certificate of completion within 2 weeks via email.
• Please note that to receive a certificate, attendees must stay for the duration of the event.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how current IBC code provisions allow for mass timber use in K-12 schools, including allowable building heights, areas, and stories for Types III, IV, and V construction.​
• Identify key market drivers—such as speed of construction, sustainability, and aesthetics—that make mass timber an appealing choice for school design.​
• ompare mass timber to steel and concrete systems in terms of cost, construction schedule, and performance, using real-world case studies and structural strategies.
• Apply best practices for acoustics, durability, fire resistance, and long-span structural solutions to meet the unique needs of K-12 learning environments. ​

For questions or additional information, please contact:

Jaime Krohn, CMP | jaime@woodworks.org | (312) 841-8272

Image: Mercer Middle School, Bassetti Architects, A Design Studio of HMC Architects, Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Photo Aranisse Smith-Njigba