A new case study on the first commercially scaled mass timber project in the state of Maine features the HGA-designed Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies.
The completion of Barry Mills Hall and the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies in 2023 marked a significant milestone in the development of a sustainable construction industry in Maine. There is excitement over Bowdoin College’s use of a pioneering and sustainable wood product as the primary load-bearing material.
A new HGA-authored case study, “Furthering Mass Timber Construction” published with Bowdoin College and construction partner Consigli, Inc., details the use of mass timber in the design and construction of the buildings. The case study project is funded in part by the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities through the 2019 Mass Timber University Grant Program.
“From the College’s commitment to carbon neutrality, to its location among a grove of pine trees to the timber-rich history of Maine, the project setting seemed well-suited for a mass timber structure,” wrote Lauren Piepho, PE, structural engineer at HGA.
Mass timber, a mix of glue-laminated timber columns and beams and cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels, was chosen for several reasons. The wood-based material is lighter than steel or concrete and quicker to install. Another important factor is mass timber’s significantly reduced carbon footprint.
“Trees naturally sequester carbon as they grow,” reads the case study. “This carbon is retained in the wood when a tree is harvested, allowing it to offset some of the carbon required to fabricate, transport, and erect the final product.”
Architecture 2030 reports that just three materials used frequently in structural and architectural systems — concrete, steel, and aluminum — account for 23% of annual global carbon emissions. Less intensive carbon alternatives, like mass timber, provide a viable structural solution while carrying embodied carbon advantages.
For an efficiently designed structure, mass timber is naturally a lower embodied carbon choice than either concrete or steel because there are less emissions embodied in its production. The largest contributor to concrete is the production of Portland cement, an energy-intensive process whose chemical reaction itself has associated emissions. Production of steel, while it can be repeatedly recycled, is still an energy-intensive process with emissions. Mass timber can also help to reduce a building’s embodied carbon footprint by accounting for the carbon naturally sequestered during a tree’s growth cycle. Once a tree is harvested, this carbon is locked within the timber for as long as it remains intact and helps to offset the carbon required to harvest, transport, fabricate, and erect the structure. This natural carbon sequestration, or biogenic carbon storage, is unique to timber. Thus, by using sustainably harvested timber instead of steel or concrete, project teams can significantly reduce the amount of carbon required to construct a building, helping to move the construction industry toward means and methods that are less damaging to the environment.
Bowdoin College is one of ten institutions to receive funding from the US Forest Service in partnership with the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc., a nonprofit corporation that works collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. Bowdoin achieved carbon neutrality in 2018, two years ahead of schedule, and continues to make decreasing its reliance on fossil fuels a priority in operational decisions.
Read “Furthering Mass Timber Construction” here.
About HGA
HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including corporate, cultural, education, local and federal government, healthcare, and science and technology. Follow HGA on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
About Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Consigli Construction Co., Inc. is a leading construction manager in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Consigli services clients across all markets, including academic, health care, life sciences, institutional, energy, corporate, and federal. Founded in 1905, Consigli is now an employee-owned (ESOP) company providing its people a direct benefit of its success and creating a culture of accountability. The company has offices in Massachusetts, Washington, DC, Maine, Connecticut, New York, and the Caribbean. Consigli has received numerous awards for its craftsmanship and employment practices, including being nationally recognized as a Forbes Best Employer. For more information, visit consigli.com and follow Consigli on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College has been educating leaders on the coast of Maine since the dawn of the American republic. Founded in 1794, Bowdoin is a highly selective college of approximately 1,850 students of distinction from across America and around the world. Bowdoin offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in more than 40 majors, including interdisciplinary programs. A Bowdoin liberal arts education and residential life experience instill principled leadership, lifelong learning, and service to the common good. Visit Bowdoin College online at Bowdoin.edu and follow the college on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.