Lakeridge Middle School

Warm and welcoming, Lakeridge Middle School uses an exposed wood structural system designed to connect students with nature. Whole-tree columns, fabricated from hardwood trees harvested from the building site, support the structure inside and out. The team identified Oregon White Oak, Scarlet Oak, and Sweetgum as varieties for 29 columns (16 interior and 13 exterior).  All work to prepare the trees for use as columns was done within a 200-mile radius of the project site. These columns are approximately the same as an HSS steel column for the same load. (The average column stores over 1,000 lbs CO2e. Estimate of all columns stores over 11 US tons of CO2e.) The other wood elements, which include glue-laminated timber (glulam) beams, dowel-laminated timber (DLT) panels, and other engineered wood products, were also left visible to help reduce student stress and increase well-being.

Locally sourced DLT ceiling panels also provide acoustic absorption and leave a finish that ties into the District’s biophilic and low-carbon goals. Architects used the warmth of the wood in the library to achieve the District’s goal of creating “a more intimate space to celebrate reading the printed word.”

Wood’s efficient thermal conductivity also helped create a high-performance envelope, saving the District about $400,000 each year in energy costs. Lakeridge Middle School is registered with the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero program; it also meets Architecture 2030 energy targets.

The school even serves as an emergency shelter for the community, meeting stringent Seismic Risk Category IV requirements. The completed project met the sustainability, safety, accessibility, operational, and student wellness goals of the District.

See the Wood in Schools Video that includes why wood works, overcoming code challenges, and creating spaces people want to occupy.