Mass Plywood Panel Modular Affordable Housing

In collaboration with the TallWood Design Institute and the Energy Studies in Buildings Lab. Funding provided by an Economic Development Administration Build Back Better award as part of the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, Business Oregon UIRF, University of Oregon, TallWood Design Institute, HomeWork Development/USDA U.S. Forest Service Wood Innovations, Energy Trust of Oregon and the Build Health research consortium.

 

We are developing more affordable, resilient, energy efficient and climate neutral housing for all Oregonians and beyond. We will be making a 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath panelized housing design available for all Oregonians to use. 

With interdisciplinary expert knowledge of architecture, landscape architecture, law, and business, together with industry, municipalities and the TallWood Design Institute, we are creating and proposing solutions to issues of climate change, affordable housing, health, and energy through a systematic approach.

One proposed solution to simultaneously address all of these issues is through the use of panelized wood products. Mass timber panels are created through the composite action of smaller dimensional lumber layered in alternating directions, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), or through layers of wood veneer adhered with alternating direction, such as mass plywood panels (MPP). Both products are created primarily from wood, which is a renewable resource with the ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

We’ve been testing the development of panelized systems, and will be digitaly fabricating wall panels to speed up the production process and decrease costs. Currently, we are beginning fabrication of a full-scale prototype at the Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Lab on the Oregon State campus in Corvallis, Oregon.

Read our paper from the Proceedings of the 2023 World Conference on Timber Engineering here.

Read our paper from the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings  here.

Mockup and Panelized System Development

Recent mockup at the Emmerson Lab of an MPP wall system with embedded window frame and polycarbonate “energy shutter” to test thermal and infiltration response.

Presentations on the Future of Housing

Talks on municipal response to improve climate, housing affordability, health and new construction models of delivery from the 2021 Build Health Symposium.

Design Studio: Mass Plywood Panel Modular Affordable Housing

Below are images from an initial student design studio exploration in winter term 2020 led by Professor Judith Sheine.