Modern timber construction is growing at a remarkable rate in the United States and the latest significant project to showcase this trend comes from designer of the High Line Diller Scofidio + Renfro. The studio has designed a new wooden college tower that will rise to a height of 186 ft (56.6 m).
The Pardee School for Global Studies will be located in Boston University's campus and will have a floorspace of 70,000 sq ft (roughly 6,500 sq m). Its interior will be used to host events and conference facilities. It will also include classrooms, multiple research areas, and some "living rooms" for informal gatherings.
The tower will be built on a former parking lot and will primarily consist of modern engineered wood. It will also feature triple-glazed windows to maximize natural light inside while mitigating solar heat gain.
Its roof will be fitted with solar panels to reduce its grid-based power requirements and new greenery will be planted around it too. According to Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the timber structural frame and all-electric design reduces embodied carbon by 87% compared to a standard steel-and-concrete option.
There are bound to be a few nervous parents at the thought of their children studying in a wooden tower, but research has shown that far from being a tinderbox, modern engineered wood can actually outperform steel in a serious fire, and it chars slowly rather than burns.
Indeed, the Pardee School for Global Studies joins a growing number of major US timber projects, including the world's tallest timber tower, the first wooden Apple Store, and even an airport terminal made from wood.
We've no word yet on when construction is expected to begin but the Pardee School for Global Studies is due to be completed in 2027.
Source: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
