Mass Timber in Modern Schools + Bristol Agricultural High School Tour
August 6 @ 11:00 am - 1:30 pm EDT
- In Person
Regional In-Person Tour (Dighton, MA)
This course examines the growing use of mass timber in K-12 school design, with a focus on the key drivers influencing its adoption, including speed of construction, sustainability, cost-efficiency, and code compliance. Attendees will gain insight into the national school construction market, understand how International Building Code (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, as well as practical tips for space planning and integration. The session concludes with case studies illustrating the successful implementation of mass timber in school projects across the country.
Following the presentation and lunch, attendees will tour Bristol County Agricultural High School.
Agenda:
10:30am – Registration Opens
11:00am – Seminar
12:00pm – Lunch
12:30pm – Tour
Credits: Attendees can earn 1.0 AIA/CES HSW LU, 1.0 PDH credit or 0.10 ICC credit for the seminar + 1.0 AIA/CES HSW LU, 1.0 PDH credit or 0.10 ICC credit for the tour.
Speaker:
Patrick is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maine. He began his engineering career working on the design of light-frame and panelized light-frame wood construction on residential, commercial, and memory care facilities in New England and throughout the southeast. Most recently, he has gained architecture and engineering design experience on government contracts for facilities across the northeast, including projects in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Maine. Patrick aims to share his passion for wood design with project teams and owners, helping to bridge knowledge gaps and turn the desire to build with mass timber into a reality. He has a BS in Civil /Structural Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA, and served six years in the US Army Reserves.
Location:
Bristol County Agricultural High School
135 Center S
Dighton, MA 02715
Student Commons
Parking:
Parking is available on site
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.
- Compare mass timber to steel and concrete systems in terms of cost, construction schedule, and performance, using real-world case studies and structural strategies.
- Understand 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:
LeeAnn Charpentier, CMP | leeann.charpentier@woodworks.org | (301) 633-0330
Image: Student Commons at Bristol County Agricultural High School / Ed Wonsek Artworks
