Greenhill School Valdes STEM + Innovation Center

The project required structural coordination to incorporate exposed mass timber framing along with brick masonry facades that mirror other buildings on campus.

The school sought a building with a variety of learning environments of different spans and sizes, with the capacity to reconfigure spaces and adapt to the institution’s evolving needs.

The project’s context demanded resistance to heavy winds and debris impact, with resilient load paths and protective detailing to safeguard occupants in collapse scenarios.

Coordinating diaphragm shear, collector axial forces, and transfer forces with a bespoke cross-laminated timber (CLT) lay-up, helped us realize an exposed mass timber structure without steel beams or concrete slabs to carry loads.

Walter P Moore pursued a modular design approach for the classrooms and incorporated a raised access floor plenum for future changes to electrical infrastructure and air delivery.

Beneath the building, we incorporated an ICC-500 compliant tornado shelter capable of withstanding extreme weather. We also engineered all structural elements to safely detach under excessive force, maintaining structural integrity, and preserving occupant safety.

The Valdes STEM + Innovation Center is a sustainable mass timber emblem that emphasizes innovation, connectivity, and transparency.

The building’s modular structure features myriad learning environments, including collaborative spaces, robotics and fabrication labs, a courtyard, and an open atrium that can all be altered to suit future users.

Equipped to ensure occupant safety and structural integrity in an area vulnerable to storm events, the Valdes STEM + Innovation Center embodies a secure, resilient learning environment.