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Dive brief:
- Mortenson made the save 2 million dollars and reduce construction time through early BIM engagement and the use of prefabricated components, according to a contractor case study highlighting its work on the $55 million Kaiser Borsari Hall project at Western Washington University.
- The savings came from relocating the electrical room of the four-story solid wood room from the basement to the first floor, according to the case study, due to the building material’s lighter footprint compared to steel. The lighter load completely eliminated the need for the basement foundation, which also significantly reduced the use of concrete.
- In addition, the construction team used prefab solid wood components and early BIM coordination to reduce the project schedule by 25%, according to the case study.
Diving knowledge:
The building illustrates how the combination of technology, prefabricated materials and a value-based approach can save time and money on construction projects.
Beyond the $2 million in savings that came from removing the basement, other value engineering strategies that saved money included switching to a variable refrigerant flow HVAC system and optimizing sewer routing, Mortenson Associate Sustainability Specialist Gianna Bacher told Construction Dive via email.
In addition, Bacher said the massive use of wood allowed the team to save money on labor: The material can be prefabricated off-site and does not require welding connections, requiring fewer people on the job site. Additionally, the project required fewer truck loads and site deliveries due to less concrete use.
In fact, the construction and design team was also able to speed up the massive wood installation by about two months, Jennifer Kim, Mortenson’s project executive, told Construction Dive.
For contractors looking to use solid wood on their projects, schedule and the environment are paramount, said Paige Nowoj, a Seattle-based Mortenson project manager who worked on the project.
“Building with wood in Arizona is very different than building with wood in the Pacific Northwest,” Nowoj said. “Evaluating what time you’ll be picking up and receiving that material and also where it’s coming from is very important in talking to homeowners and design teams about whether solid wood is the right material for your project.”
For example, wood components for Western Washington University’s construction came from less than 600 miles from Kalesnikoff’s site in British Columbia, Canada, a sustainable forestry supplier, according to Mortenson’s case study.
To meet the strict sustainability requirements, Mortenson worked hand-in-hand with architect Perkins+Will along with the university and design team to evaluate each step of the process, according to the case study. Tiger Construction, based in Washington, D.C., installed the solid wood manufactured by Kalesnikoff.
the room started in 2023according to McKinstry, a mechanical contractor on the project. It opened in early 2025, according to the case study. After more than a year of operation, it has now also received Zero Carbon i Zero Energy certifications from the non-profit organization Living Future after a performance audit that lasted 12 months.
Nowoj compared the massive wooden components to Lincoln logs because of how easily they were put together.
“It was one of the easiest frame installations I’ve ever seen, so it was very exciting because we expected it to be faster than steel from a schedule delivery standpoint, and that’s exactly what was delivered,” Nowoj said.
