The timber frame of the new home for the Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design. Photo by Mark Stein
An innovative mass timber structure is rapidly redefining the Portland State University campus, with the new home for the Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design on track for a 2026 completion. Rather than the typical steel and reinforced concrete, the three-story building utilizes mass timber – engineered wood components produced through cutting-edge building technology – resulting in a structure that is both environmentally responsible and a nurturing facility for this vibrant and creative community.
The first mass timber structure on the PSU campus, the building, located on Southwest Broadway between Shattuck Hall and the Native American Cultural Center, was designed by LEVER Architecture with sensitivity to the surrounding landscape and the larger Pacific Northwest region. All of the wood for the building comes from sustainably managed forests across the Pacific Northwest, with more than half of the wood for the structure’s beams and columns coming from Native-managed forests in Oregon and Washington.
The building’s wooden frame is constructed from cross-laminated timber for the floors, and hundreds of glulam horizontal beams and vertical columns (408 and 353, respectively). Both cross lamination and glue lamination (glulam) fabrication methods result in lower carbon emissions than those generated by typical reinforced concrete and steel structures, and it has the added benefit of storing carbon rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. Mass timber members are considered to be just as strong as those made of steel, and they are relatively fire resistant as well.
Before ever arriving on the construction site at PSU, the mass timber members were processed by Timberlab, where they were pressed, or laminated, and cut through a precise milling process known as CNC. Timberlab’s fabrication included hundreds of mortise-and-tenon connections. The prefabricated wood and more than precut connection points have allowed the installation of the structure to proceed much faster and at lower cost than a traditional concrete and steel building, thanks to careful, detailed planning on the part of the architects and engineers.
“Working closely with the Swinerton and Timberlab team, we coordinated and ‘built’ the structure digitally before construction commenced on site,” said Thomas Robinson, founding principal at LEVER Architecture. “Every element in the building – every piece of mass timber, every conduit, every light switch, every duct – was coordinated with each trade in a digital model, so that the materials could be pre-cut and delivered to the site for faster assembly. This allowed construction to happen incredibly quickly. Timberlab was able to build 27,000 square feet of the first floor structure in ten working days.”
Generous ceiling heights, expansive windows, abundant natural light and warm wood tones will bring comfort, inspiration and feelings of well-being for the artists who will learn and create within its walls. The building will include galleries, studios, classrooms, lecture spaces and offices; an exterior work yard where students can create large-scale artwork; a commons area for gathering; a roof deck overlooking the work yard, with views of the Park Blocks and nearby south hills; and an array of flexible spaces that can be adapted as the needs of the school evolve.
“It is very exciting to be working on the first mass timber building at PSU, and to help bring this long-planned building to life in a way that incorporates PSU's commitments to innovation and sustainability,” said Cameron Patterson, project manager at Portland State University.
“Being able to utilize locally sourced timber from nearby tribal lands – keeping costs low and shortening the construction process – has made this project all the more meaningful. It’s been a thrill to contribute to this unique design for the new Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design,” Patterson said.
As of publication, the mass timber frame has reached completion. Next, the construction team will continue work on the roof and exterior facade, with the goal of having the building fully enclosed (with roof, facade and walls in place) by late fall. The project is scheduled to be completed in May 2026, with move-in planned for late summer 2026.