Mass Timber Tour: Vae View Elementary School Renovation

Regional In-Person Tour (Layton, UT)

This educational tour will explore the renovation and expansion of Vae View Elementary School in Layton, Utah, highlighting the integration of mass timber into an existing K–6 educational facility. Originally built in 1962, the school’s distinctive circular design is preserved while new mass timber classrooms, administrative spaces, and a multipurpose activity area replace aging portable buildings and create a safer, more connected campus.

Attendees will learn how mass timber was incorporated into an existing school renovation, including strategies for connecting new and existing construction, construction sequencing, and key detailing considerations. The project team will also discuss the benefits of mass timber in educational facilities, including sustainability, embodied carbon reduction, and the creation of warm, biophilic learning environments. The tour encourages discussion and provides practical insights that participants can apply to future renovation and mass timber projects.

PPE: This is an active jobsite; attendees are required to wear PPE (Safety vest, hard hat, safety glasses) and sturdy hard-soled flat shoes. A limited number of loaner PPE will be available to those who need it – please indicate this on your registration.

Credits: Attendees can earn 1.5 AIA/CES HSW LUs, 1.5 PDH credits or 0.15 ICC credits

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 covers a variety of building types, including residential, higher education, and retrofit of existing and historic structures. Chelsea is passionate about sustainability and the use of wood as a building material to reduce the embodied carbon emissions of structures.

Location:

Vae View Elementary

1750 W 1600 N

Layton, UT 84041

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss typical construction practices for mass timber projects, including safety best practices, installation efficiency, and coordination with follow-on trades.
• Highlight a variety of structural and architectural uses of CLT panels, glulam and light-frame wood through an in-person tour of an under-construction project, highlighting the biophilic benefits of exposed mass timber for students.
• Demonstrate connection detailing techniques used in code-compliant mass timber integrated into an existing buildings to ensure appropriate structural capacity, fire resistance, and consideration of the project construction type.
• Explain the diverse methods of project development and approaches used by the design team, including owners, contractors, architects, and engineers, to achieve a successful mass timber project.

For questions or additional information, please contact:

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

Photo credit: Rob W. Scribner – MVRCK