US$60m school for forestry at Oregon State University
20 January 2015Oregon State University has initiated a US$30m fundraising effort to put the university’s forestry department at the forefront of what many Oregon leaders see as an emerging market in sustainable construction materials.
The planned US$60m complex will include new spaces for research and teaching, as well as renovating the existing spaces.
The school also wants to double enrolment to 2000 students, saying there is a demand for more trained foresters.
The goal is a 2,322m2 facility with computer-controlled and robotic manufacturing systems and a pilot plant designed as a learning laboratory for students.
The complex will feature a structure made out of the timber products they are working to create and perfect.
State officials are promoting Oregon as in a prime position to take the lead in wood based materials for large-scale construction.
At the forefront of that effort is cross laminated timber, which is touted to be as strong as concrete and steel, but more sustainable and efficient to use.
