Evergreen Charter School

As one of the East Coast’s first CLT schools, The Evergreen Charter School is a notable example of mass timber in modern school design. Located in one of Nassau County's most impoverished communities, Evergreen provides underserved and marginalized youth and families an alternative to local public schools where minorities have historically experienced low graduation rates. The mission for the new building was to create a sustainable school with a robust education program that doubled as an asset for the entire community. 
 
The sustainability benefits of wood, including low embodied carbon and carbon storage, cemented Evergreen's enthusiasm for mass timber and supported their green ethos—something that distinguishes them as a charter school and attracts like-minded families. 

The building is comprised of three floors of classrooms and flexible learning spaces, two cafeterias, a gymnasium, a soccer field, gardens and other outdoor spaces. One of the building’s two cafeterias is on the rooftop, a full mass timber structure with wood columns, trusses, and CLT roofing elements. The design also includes a high-performance envelope and mechanical system that will perform at 20% above code and maximizes natural light in the classrooms to ensure high indoor air quality (IAQ) and acoustics.  

Read WoodWorks’ blog on the design process with Martin Hopp here.