Whittier Elementary School’s renovation and expansion in Washington, D.C., has been selected as one of four winners of the 2025 Mass Timber Competition: Building Sustainable Schools, led by the Softwood Lumber Board and the USDA Forest Service.
“The $1.8 million competition had a dedicated focus on K-12 educational environments. The winning schools… demonstrate mass timber’s ability to deliver measurable benefits: improved student focus, occupant well-being, faster construction timelines, and reduced carbon impact.” (https://softwoodlumberboard.org/mass-timber-competition-2025/)
As part of the project team with Hord Coplan Macht, MCN Build, DC Department of General Services, and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) – SK&A Structural Engineers is supporting a design that advances both sustainability and student experience, exploring how mass timber systems can help deliver high-performance learning environments in K–12 schools.
A mass timber addition designed to be seen
The project team is exploring substituting the originally planned structural framing with cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam. This approach will feature exposed mass timber to reduce finish needs and strengthen biophilic design, while also serving as a teaching tool within Whittier’s sustainability curriculum.
Project scale and program
The modernization includes full design and construction services for an approximately 90,000-square-foot school facility. The mass timber addition will include a library, STEM and art classrooms, a gym, a cafeteria, and outdoor green space, all while preserving the school’s historic main building and more than doubling the school’s space.
Learn more: https://www.hcm2.com/dc-whittier-elementary-school-earns-mass-timber-grant/
