University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Architecture

Timberlyne was excited to incorporate mass timber in the now-completed phase two of the remodel of Architecture Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The last significant renovation or construction project for the College of Architecture occurred in 1987 when the Link building, a glass atrium, was created to connect two existing buildings: Architecture Hall East and Architecture Hall West. The College of Architecture complex includes two of the oldest buildings at UNL. According to historicbuildings.unl.edu, Architecture Hall East was established in 1895 as the old UNL Library, housing 10,000 volumes, making it the oldest building in the UNL system. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Special accommodations are being made to ensure the preservation of its historical integrity. Architecture Hall West, formerly the Law College, was constructed in 1912 and is the fifth oldest building on UNL's city campus.

As the only 19th-century building on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's city campus, Architecture Hall represents the university's Victorian history, featuring a virtually unchanged exterior that provides faculty, students, and visitors with a sense of appreciation for the building's rich past. The first significant renovation of the campus occurred between 1985 and 1987, transforming the library within Architecture Hall into three stories of modern studios and creating the Link atrium that connects the Hall to the College of Law building. To maintain the original architecture while accommodating an expanding student body, HDR partnered with NADAAA to deliver the second phase of renovations and a four-story addition known as the HDR Pavilion, marking the campus' newest space in nearly 40 years.

The HDR Pavilion, an entirely mass timber structure, will feature 31 new studio spaces, a student lounge, and an additional crit space on the second, third, and fourth floors. Design elements such as exposed wood and long-span timber beams create a flexible and environmentally conscious learning environment, while drafting tables and studio bleachers for crit spaces create a dynamic space. Kalwall panels comprising the Pavilion’s north façade are arranged in a staggered fashion, allowing natural daylight to come through and illuminate the space. 

“The students who occupy this building will be inspired by our example of how to push the envelope of designing and building unique mass timber structures.” - Jared Casey, Timberlyne Project Manager.