July 26, 2017

$60M forest science complex at OSU will be a research subject

Images from Michael Green Architecture [enlarge]

The complex will have space for robotic manufacturing systems, and a pilot plant that will be a lab for students.

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The cross-laminated timber structure will have an exterior of glass and a high performance wood called Accoya, with stairs in the atrium.

The new $60 million Oregon Forest Science Complex at Oregon State University is being built using cutting-edge materials that students will later use for research.

Andersen Construction recently started work on the project in Corvallis.

For part of the complex, OSU is replacing Peavy Hall at Southwest 30th Street and Southwest Jefferson Way with an 80,687-square-foot building that will have a cross-laminated timber structure and an exterior of glass and accoya wood. The three-story building will house classrooms, laboratories, offices and meeting spaces.

Accoya's website says the wood is modified timber made from a process called acetylation, creating a product that is highly resistant to rot. Accsys Technologies, the manufacturer, guarantees Accoya for 50 years in above-ground applications and 25 years in the ground or in freshwater.

A second element of the complex will be the 16,000-square-foot A.A. “Red” Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory, which will house sophisticated manufacturing systems, a high-bay lab with a strong floor for full-scale product development, and a design lab.

There will be space for computer-controlled and robotic manufacturing systems, plus a pilot plant designed as a learning laboratory for students.

There also will be a 1,000-square-foot field instrument room built next to Richardson Hall, the current home to the College of Forestry. Connections also will be made between Richardson and the new Peavy.

Andersen expects to finish its work in March 2019. Partial occupancy of the complex is anticipated for December 2018.

OSU says the complex will allow the College of Forestry to help meet the growing demand for energy-efficient, tall buildings made from sustainable products.

Here's the project team: Michael Green Architecture, Estime Group (lab planner), Equilibrium Consulting (structural engineer), PAE Consulting Engineers (mechanical), AEI Affiliated Engineers (electrical), RDH (envelope), KPFF Consulting Engineers (civil) and BRC Acoustics.