State Nebraska Bank & Trust

This unusual yet beautiful building combines a bank and offices for local businesses with a space for the small community to gather, shoot hoops, and play pickleball. While the building’s original design featured glue-laminated timber (glulam) columns and beams with a traditional wood truss system, the client thought they had to settle on a boring but affordable acoustical tile drop ceiling to meet budget limitations.

However, a last-minute design change, inspired by a conversation at the ground-breaking ceremony, provided the solution by substituting glue-laminated timber (GLT) panels for the trusses and ceiling tiles. Since the decision to use GLT was made at the eleventh hour, speed was important. But even though it was a last-minute substitution, there were no project delays.

In addition, the GLT panels were able to span the sports court without need for additional supporting beams. The exposed wood panels transformed the space and met the client’s budget and timeline, and the shift demonstrated the availability, versatility, and affordability of mass timber, proving that it can be easily incorporated into a building project, regardless of size or schedule.

See the WoodWorks technical case study to learn more details about the design and construction of this buildling.