Mass Timber & Flexibility: Inside Greenhill School’s STEM Innovation Hub

Greenhill School’s Valdes STEM & Innovation Center represents a groundbreaking fusion of advanced technology and sustainable design principles. Tate’s raised access floors were pivotal in realizing this vision, offering versatile underfloor service distribution while preserving the facility’s aesthetic charm. 

The facility, conceived as a Mass timber structure, stands as a testament to Greenhill’s commitment to innovation and educational excellence. Specialized labs dedicated to engineering, science, and robotics embody the school’s forward thinking approach to STEM education.

In the design process, architects prioritized flexibility and aesthetic integrity. Tate’s solution enabled dynamic classroom layouts while seamlessly concealing essential services. This integration not only supports the warmth and authenticity of the bio aesthetic but also underscores the facility’s sustainable ethos.

Raised access floors provide flexibility, enabling dynamic rearrangement of classroom layouts to accommodate diverse teaching methodologies and collaborative activities. By housing electrical and data/AV cabling beneath the raised floors, the facility ensures efficient access to essential services while minimizing visual clutter and maximizing usable space.

Efficient air distribution facilitated by the underfloor plenum ensures optimal ventilation, enhancing comfort and well-being. The exposed mass timber ceilings serve as a striking focal point, reinforcing sustainability principles and fostering a profound connection to nature.

“Tate emerged as the optimal solution to address the diverse requirements of the Valdes STEM & Innovation Center. The school desired a layout that would allow classrooms to be reconfigured to meet student needs,” says Margaret Sledge, Senior Associate Architect at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

The successful implementation of Tate’s Raised Access Floors underscores the transformative potential of innovative construction techniques in educational architecture, especially when integrated with the captivating qualities of mass timber. Greenhill School’s commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and inspiring learning environments in the field of STEM education is exemplified by this groundbreaking facility.