INNOVATIVE TIMBER BASED SYSTEMS FOR SCHOOLS

Wood Solution Fairs 2012

Toronto

Presented by:

Nabih Tahan, aia, mriai

2440 Grant St.

Berkeley, Ca. 94703

Tel: 510-848-2514

Cell: 510-684-0978

Email: nabih.tahan@creebuildings.com

Website: www.creebuildings.com

Copyright Materials

This presentation is protected by US and International Copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, display and use of the

presentation without written permission of the speaker is prohibited.

CREE BUILDINGS, Inc

Canadian Wood Council, Wood WORKS! and the Wood Solutions Fair is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System. Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for AIA members who complete a participation form at the registration counter. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members are available on request. This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

Program Education Credit Information

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will have an overview of the sustainable forestry carbon cycle and

the advantages of using wood as a building material

2. They will become familiar with new and innovative „timber“ products and

systems which can be used for the design and construction of schools.

3. They will become familiar with projects and strategies that have been used to

design new schools as well as retrofit existing ones.

4. They will have an understanding of how an integrated „system built“ approach

can improve buildng performance.

• Nabih introduction

• Advantages of Wood

• New Wood Products and Systems Driving Innovations

• Systems Approach to Design and Construction

• School Examples: New and Additions, Europe

• School Examples: New Buildings at University of British Columbia

• School Examples: Systems Approach in USA

• School Examples: New Schools Built with Cross Laminated Timber

• Schools Examples: Prefabricated, Deep Energy Retrofits

• Study from Vienna: Modular timber Based System for Schools

• Performance

Summary of presentation

Nabih’s Experience

Austria

• Multi-family projects

• Pre-fabricated in wood

• Low energy standard

Nabih’s Experience

Ireland

Imported low energy, pre-fabricated homes from Austria

Berkeley

Remodeled home to Passive House Standard

Nabih’s Experience

Study for Austrian Trade Commission

Opportunities for transferring know-how

between Austria and the USA

Consulting

Architectural, structural and energy

consulting services including the Passive

House Standard.

Products

Development of high performance products

Systems

Development of modern, industrial

construction methods.

ADVANTAGES

OF

WOOD

Forestry Carbon Cycle

MATERIAL SELECTION

MANUFACTURE

ON-SITE

OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION

OCCUPANCY

MAINTENANCE DEMOLITION

RECYCLE / REUSE

DISPOSAL

Life Cycle of Buildings

Ecological

Backpack

Urban

Mining

Passive House

ZNE

Embodied Energy

Compare Concrete – Steel - Wood

+ 2,060 lbs CO2 / ft³ + 1,250 lbs CO2 / ft³ - 60 lbs / ft³

142 kWh/ft³ 250 kWh/ft³ 5 kWh/ft³

150 lbs/ ft³ 485 lbs/ ft³ 28 lbs/ft³

60 kWh/ft³

The items of daily life are heavier than we think:

WWW.CREEBYRHOMBERG.COM COPYRIGHT BY CREE

Source: Schmidt-Bleek 2000, Das MIPS-Konzept, Droemer Knaur, München

How do we use the resources of the planet?

Product-weight

Ecological Backpack

Cell Desktop Gold ring

Demolition-Recycle-Reuse-Disposal

Wood recycled as

building products

Wood recycled

for furniture

Wood converted

to energy –

see town of Guessing, Austria

Urban Mining: rubble is valuable.

You do not have to go to great lengths to produce something

that already exists: the term urban mining is becoming

significantly more relevant in the field of sustainable building.

WWW.CREEBYRHOMBERG.COM COPYRIGHT BY CREE

Urban Mining

NEW WOOD PRODUCTS

AND SYSTEMS

DRIVING INNOVATIONS

Traditional Wood Industry

– Working with wood, craftsmanship at a human

and community scale.

– Natural, renewable resource

– Minimum advancements in technology

New Wood Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

– Steel

– Concrete Energy

– Oil, coal Power

– Plastics Waste

New Wood Industrial Revolution

Collaboration between carpenter, artisans, forest

workers, architects, machinery, engineers,

business people, researchers. environmentalists,

creating green jobs, healthy buildings and a

sustainable environment.

High Performance Timber Products

Finger jointed framing lumber

Cross Laminated Timber

Glue laminated timber

Structural members

- Around the year 2000 price of glulam decreased due to machinery, glues, volume

- Low moisture content 10-12%, easier to use CNC machinery – no

shrinkage, very low tolerance

Industrial Manufacturing Process

Produce panels off-site

Assemble on Site

Architect / Builder collaborate electronically

“Digital Age” of Wood Architecture

Precision cutting of wood members

Hybrid - Wood / Concrete System

Assembly

Mock-up

Design

Fire Test

Hybrid System – Fire Testing

Charring Rate: 1 ½” p. hour

Fire Chamber

Comparing wood and steel

Result of 2 hour Fire Test

Annual end energy requirement for buildings in kWh/m²a

For the Passive House: Heat demand max. is 1.4 kWh/ft²/year or 4.75 kBTU/ft²year

End energy requirement in kBTU/ft² a 15.85 31.70 47.55 63.40 79.25 95.10

Energy Consumption

Credit: Guenter Lang Consulting

In kWh / m² / year

Passive House Standard Source: Mika Gröndahl/The New York Times – Snug and Tight – April 30, 2009

SYSTEMS

APPROACH TO

DESIGN

AND

CONSTRUCTION

Infrastructure Unsustainable Patterns

Worldwide, the building industry is responsible for:

- 40% consumption of resources 1) - 25% - 40% consumption of energy 1)

- 30% - 40% emission of greenhouse gas 1) - 30% - 40% of solid waste generation 1)

- 60% of the transportation 2)

1) Source: UNEP SBCI – United Nations Environment Program

2) Ton kilometre

Traditional Building Industry

• We build every building manually

• Using very complex methods

• Long construction schedules

• High consumption of energy and

resources

• Commercial buildings are

exclusively built out of steel and

reinforced concrete

Current Methods of Delivering Buildings

Design – Bid - Build Integrated Design Process Still a prototype: one team, one building, one system

Traditional Method Improved Method

Industrial “System Approach”

Integral Design

Building physics

Architecture

Fire

protection/control

Structural

design

Management of

Processes

Marketing

Supply Chain Management

Facility Management

Industrial “System Approach”

Industrial Manufacturing

Mechanical

systems

Core

Columns / posts

Floor slabs

Façade

Research and Product Development for

Timber based building construction for

sustainable multi-storey buildings to

demonstrate that we can push the limits of

wood

• Timber construction system up to

30 floors

• Industrial pre-fabrication

• Passive house standard and

power generation

LifeCycle Tower

Research and Development

Building Product and System

To Turnkey

And on-site assembly

From Structural System

Including all Systems

SCHOOL EXAMPLES:

NEW AND ADDITIONS

IN EUROPE

Campus Kuchl, Salzburg - Addition

Architect: Dietrich / Untertrifaller Arch., Bregenz, Austria

• Technical college specializing in timber

construction and engineering

• 3 story wood frame construction with

concrete stairs for additional fire protection

and stiffness

• First high school in Austria to the Passive

House Standard, with 14” insulation, triple

glazing, heat recovery ventilation, with

biomass district heating.

• Parkett floors

• Wall paneling

• Ext. wood shading elements

• 3 story 4 sided building with courtyard in center open,

allows view through building and landscape

• Demand for ecology and resource efficiency led to

Passive House Standard

• Roof Construction is with glulam solid floor slabs

with light weight concrete above.

Agricultural School - Addition

Architect: Fink Thurnher Arch., Bregenz, Austria

Glue-Laminated Floor Slabs

• Locallly grown white fir, untreated is used as

visible surfaces for floor, ceilings and interior

paneling and exterior cladding.

Agricultural School - Addition

Architect: Fink Thurnher Arch., Bregenz, Austria

• One of the largest wood buildings in

Switzerland built in timber frame

construction with 12’ x 17’ grid

• 4 tracts of differing heights create a

courtyard

• 4 concrete cores for stairs and wet

rooms for fire protection and stiffness

• Large rooms such as gym which could

not have heavy load bearing posts were

placed on top floor and carry only the

roof loads.

Switzerland: Kantonschule, in Wil

Architect: Staufer & Hasler, Arch. Swizterland.

Switzerland: Kantonschule, in Wil

Architect: Staufer & Hasler, Arch. Swizterland.

4 concrete cores for

stairs at wet rooms,

provide structural

stiffness and fire

protection for exiting.

• School Addition, 300 feet long x 55

feet high.

• Built with central concrete core for

fire protection.

• Wood modules from prefabricated

wall elements were installed on

either side of core.

• Balconies were designed to also

allow light into core

• Deep overhangs to protect wood

• Glue Laminated slabs were used

under windows for stiffness

• Careful detailing of wood, rain

screen, shed water.

Engineering and Technical School for Wood Industry. Biel

Architect: Marcel Meili, Markus Peter Arch. Swizterland.

• Original school build in the 60’s

had high operating costs. New

school built to the Passive House

standard and reduces operating

costs by 70%

Hauptschule, Klaus - Austria

Architect: Dietrich / Untertrifaller Arch. Dornbirn, Austria

• Central stair core as exposed

concrete for additional stiffness

and fire protection

• Prefabridated timber frame

construction

• Fixed exterior sun shading in

copper sheet metal with holes.

appears closed on exterior and

transparent from interior

Hauptschule, Klaus - Austria

Architect: Dietrich / Untertrifaller Arch. Dornbirn, Austria

Fachhochscule Weihenstephan, Freising- Munich

Architect: Florian Nagler Arch. Munich, Germany

• New school built to follow the topography of the hill, with

series of ramps and stairs on the interior

• Wood Trellis interior wall as separation to techical rooms

Fachhochscule Weihenstephan, Freising- Munich

Architect: Florian Nagler Arch. Munich, Germany

Excellenzzentrum Garching / Munich

Architect: Hermann Kaufmann, Austria

• Super insulated wood

framed elements

covering a reinforced

concrete core for stairs

and chases

• Triple glazed windows

throughout

• Exterior shading

element to reduce heat

gains

Various School Projects

Architect: Hermann Kaufmann, Austria

Kinderhaus Garsching, Munich

School in Bizau, Austria – Addition and remodel

School in Schnepfau, Austria – Addition and remodel

SCHOOL EXAMPLES:

NEW BUILDINGS AT

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH

COLUMBIA

UBC CENTER FOR INTERACTIVE RESEARCH

ON SUSTAINABILITY (CIRS) www.cirs.ubc.ca

About

UBC students, faculty

members, staff and partners

come together in CIRS to

explore new sustainability

technologies, tools and

approaches.

Mission, Vision, Goals

The CIRS' vision is to be an

internationally recognized

leader in accelerating the

adoption of sustainable

building and urban

development practices

Architects: Perkins+Will

CIRS was designed to be ‘net positive’ in several ways—

• net-positive energy;

• structural carbon neutrality;

• operational carbon; net-zero water;

• turning passive occupants into active inhabitants;

• promoting health and productivity; and promoting well-being

UBC CENTER FOR INTERACTIVE RESEARCH

ON SUSTAINABILITY (CIRS) www.cirs.ubc.ca

Built to exceed LEED Platinum and Living

Building Challenge standards, CIRS is

one of the few commercial buildings

constructed primarily of certified wood

and beetle-killed wood (currently B.C.’s

largest source of carbon emissions). Its

wood structure locks in more than 500

tonnes of carbon, offsetting the GHG

emissions that resulted from the use of

other non-renewable construction

materials in the building such as cement,

steel and aluminum.

UBC - EARTH SCIENCE BUILDING

Architects: Perkins + Will Vancouver

The north wing is supported by glulam columns and

beams.

Floors are composed of TimberStrand laminated strand

lumber and concrete, and the roof and canopies are

made of cross laminated timber (CLT). It is the largest

panelized wood project in North America to date.

Structural Engineer: Equilibrium Consulting Ltd. of

Vancouver, The stairway is the star element of the

building. It’s a floating stairway that has never been

done in wood anywhere in the world before.

UBC - EARTH SCIENCE BUILDING

Constructed to LEED Gold standards, ESB is the largest panelized wood building and the largest application

of cross laminated timber in North America. The building uses over 1,300 tons of BC sourced and engineered

CLT – each ton of dry wood products sequesters sufficient carbon to keep between 1.8 and 2.0 tons of CO2

from being formed. The wood materials in the ESB will sequester about 2,600 tons of CO2..

SCHOOL EXAMPLES:

SYSTEMS APPROACH

IN USA

Burr and Burton Academy, Vermont

Architect / Builder: Bensonwood, New Hampshire

In-house Design / Build Team allows for:

•Faster design and turn-around times

•3D modeling software – quick studies

•Better, air-tight structures

•Greater project coordination

•Less plan / concept confusion

•Lower project cost and schedules

•Digitally controlled fabrication

School Campus

Peru, Vermont

Build Date: May 2012

LEED Platinum Certifications

Common Ground High School, New Haven, Connecticut

Engineer / Fabricator: Bensonwood, New Hampshire

Revit Model from Gray Organschi Architect

Bensonwood Cadwork model from imported

Revit model

Bensonwood’s timber modeling

Bensonwood’s panelized structure

High School Campus

New Haven, Connecticut

Build Date: August 2012

Project Team

Architect: Gray Organschi Architecture

Engineer: Foundations: Edward Stanley Engineers

Engineer Superstructure-fabricator: Bensonwood

Coastal Maine botanical Gardens, Maine

Building Shell Fabricator: Bensonwood, New Hampshire

Mechanical System Modeling / Building Integration

–solves interference problems before they occur

From virtual model to finished building

Educational Center

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Build Date: January 2011

LEED Plantinum

Net Zero facility

Project Team

Architect: Macklay Architects / Scott Simons Architects

Structural: Becker Structural Engineers, Inc

Mechanical Engineer: Allied Engineering

General Contractor: HP Cummings

Building Shell Fabricator: Bensonwood

SCHOOL EXAMPLES NEW

SCHOOLS BUILT IN

CROSS LAMINATED

TIMBER (CLT)

Bessemer Grange Children’s Center - Southwark, London Constructed by: KLH UK Engineers: Techniker Architect: Architype

• Renovation of existing school

• New 2 story CLT butterfly-roof creates new

classrooms, and nursery facilities

• Links to existing pre-fabricated steel structure

Advantages of CLT

•Speed of Construction:

o 6 to 8 weeks

o 200 to 300 ft² per day

•Cleanliness:

o Minimum dust, easy to maintain

•Wide-span Construction

o Spans 12 to 30 feet

o Transport up to 50 foot slabs

o Reduces overall weight of

structure by about a third

Rye Oak Children’s Center – Southwark, London Constructed by: KLH UK Engineers: Techniker Egger Architects

• New Extension to existing school.

• Internal and external walls, floors, roof and

canopies, reception stair, lift core, bridges

are constructed with CLT

• Spans of 20 feet for roof and classroom

areas

• Fast and efficient – constructed in 6 weeks

Advantages of CLT

•Flexibility

o Architectural features, open

corners, cantilevers, open stairs

•Embodied Energy for Handling

o Few parts – handling of

materials in only two lifts

St. Charles Catholic Sixth Form College, London Constructed by: KLH UK Engineers: Techniker Architect: Studio E

• New multi-use sports

hall, fitness studio

and teaching facility Advantages of CLT

•Work Health and Safety

o No wet trades, hot material, sharp edges, curing

materials, bottled gases or additives

o Battery powered hand held tools instead of

heavy tools used for concrete and steel

•High Fabrication Tolerances

o Panels are within 1/16” tolerances where

concrete frames are up to ¼” and ½ “

Kingsdale School, London Constructed by: KLH UK Engineers: Techniker dRMM Architects

• New sports hall and music

school

• Reduction of elements –

Four CLT walls with rigid

roof diaphragm on glulam

beams.

• Building prefabricated in

Austria and erected in 2

weeks in London

Advantages of CLT

•Details

o Connect panels with double threaded screws

o Stronger joints require plates and angles

o Easy to install windows, trim etc. because of

1/16 “ accuracy

o Fire resistant – chars without igniting

o Higher acoustic performance with floating floor

construction

Examples of CLT – High School in Taufkirchen / Pram, Austria Architect: Dietmar Feichtinger Architects CLT Manufacturer: www.klh.at

Examples of CLT – Sports Hall in Studenzen, Austria Design: DI Werner Trummer, Feldbach www.klh.at

Examples of CLT – Elemantary School Hermagor, Austria Design: DI Dr. Herwig Ronacher www.klh.at

SCHOOL EXAMPLES:

PREFABRICATED,

DEEP ENERGY RETROFITS

Elementary School St. Leonhard – Arnoldstein, Austria

Architect: Gerhard Kopeinig – Arch + More, Austria

• Passive house retrofit

• Prefabricated wall

elements, completely

wrapped existing

building

• Pellet heating system

• Reduced heating costs

by 90%

• Reduced thermal bridging

• Insulated building envelope, including

ground slab

• Heat recovery ventilation, with silencers

• Exterior shading

Elementary School St. Leonhard – Arnoldstein, Austria

Architect: Gerhard Kopeinig – Arch + More, Austria

Polutechnical School Remodel, Schwanenstadt, Austria

Project Coordination: Guenter Lang Consulting, Austria

Polutechnical School Remodel, Schwanenstadt, Austria

Project Coordination: Guenter Lang Consulting, Austria

STUDY FROM VIENNA FOR

MODULAR TIMBER BASED

SYSTEM FOR SCHOOLS

Preplanned modules based on an app. 10

foot layout resulting in classrooms app. 700 ft²

Vienna:

Study for Erecting Temporary and Permanent schools Project

Goal: Create basis for developing a modular, wood

based system to build quickly and economically

temporary and permanent schools to high architectural

and ecological standards.

•Alternate to current steel container system

•Develop a standard specification system

•Enable simple process of planning and cost estimating

and scheduling

•Document and compare study to other national and

international examples

•Develop modular system for construction and

specifications with the cooperrtion of companies working

in the area of wood industry.

•City of Vienna and wood research institutes reviewed

concept for code compliance and technical feasibility

Issues of concern

•Comfort in summer and winter

•Indoor air quality

•Fire protection and acoustics

•Day-lighting and solar gains

•Electromagatic quality

•Ecological quality of building materials

•Space and functional requirement

•Building Science

•Building systems (MEP) and standards

•Cost,

•Scheduling

•Permit approval process

A few of the different grids designed to

classrooms, bathrooms, offices, etc.

Modules created from grids Wall system developed

Vienna:

Study for Erecting Temporary and Permanent schools Project

Vienna:

Study for Erecting Temporary and Permanent schools Project

Modules prefabricated from predesigned

elements and can be covered with several

façade systems.

Exposed

wood floor Hybrid wood

concrete floor

Timber frame

construction

Example of

wall section

Example of plug on facade

Floor plans created from modules

Building Section with exposed timber ceilings, beams,

walls, facades, etc.

Perspective of school designed with modular system

Vienna: Study for Erecting Temporary and Permanent schools

Project

PERFORMANCE

1,586 1,586

6,863 5,123

9,534

10,328

8,640

8,079

859

1,109

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Wood construction Reinforeced concrete construction

LifeCycle Tower: Cost comparison Wood construction vs. Reinforced Concrete construction

Share in the costs

MEP

Interior

Shell & Core

Design

MIO US$

Cost Comparisons

325,295 lbs

18,277,481 lbs

-1,564,131 lbs

1,290,434 lbs

3,247,923 lbs

3,423,241 lbs

-64,143 lbs

-117,075 lbs

-5,000,000 lbs

0 lbs

5,000,000 lbs

10,000,000 lbs

15,000,000 lbs

20,000,000 lbs

25,000,000 lbs

LifeCycle Tower: CO2-equivalents Wood construction / Reinforced Concrete construction

EOL Maintenance total

Maintenance total

EOL Production total

Production total

R.C.C.Total: 22,874,081 lbs CO2

Wood constructionTotal: 1,944,944 lbs CO2

92%

CO2 Equivalents

This concludes the:

• American Institute of Architects

• Ontario Association of Architects

Continuing Education Systems Program

INNOVATIVE TIMBER BASED SYSTEMS FOR SCHOOLS

Questions/ Comments?

Nabih Tahan, AIA

2440 Grant St. Berkeley, Ca. 94703

Tel: 510-848-2514 510-684-0978 cell

Email: nabih.tahan@creebuildings.com www.creebuildings.com