Raised Access Flooring Enhances Mass Timber Flexibility and Sustainability

The new Deschutes County Redmond Public Library in Redmond, Oregon, demonstrates how Tate’s raised access flooring system can transform the performance of a mass timber building.

Designed by The Miller Hull Partnership and completed in 2024, the 38,000-square-foot facility (with 18,500 square-feet of raised access floors) combines a dowel-laminated timber (DLT) structure with Tate’s CCN 1000/1500/1250 raised floor system to create a flexible, energy-efficient, and low-carbon civic space. Finishes include porcelain, carpet, and linoleum, offering durability and design versatility across high-traffic public areas.

Design Challenge: Concealing Systems, Preserving Timber Beauty

The design team set out to celebrate the library’s natural wood ceiling — keeping the DLT structure fully exposed for its warmth and acoustic quality.

That choice left no room for traditional ductwork or overhead cabling. The challenge: how to integrate HVAC, electrical, and data systems without disrupting the open aesthetic or adding a heavy concrete topping slab.

Tate’s raised access flooring solution provided the perfect answer. By creating a modular underfloor plenum, the team was able to route air distribution, power, and technology infrastructure beneath the floor rather than above the ceiling. This plenum also hid the sprinkler pipe system in the raised access floor, which is less common but worked well for this mass timber project.

This approach preserved the clean, exposed timber aesthetic while enabling a high-performance building environment. The system also supported underfloor air distribution (UFAD), improving indoor air quality and reducing energy use.

“It’s a triple win,” says Mathew Albores, Project Manager at Miller Hull. “We get exposed structure, concealed systems, and total flexibility for the client’s program.”

Key Project Benefits:

1. Sustainable Flooring Solution: By eliminating a concrete topping slab, the project reduced both embodied carbon and structural weight, aligning with Oregon’s mass timber sustainability goals.

2. Improved Energy Efficiency: The underfloor air distribution system delivers air directly to the occupied zone, cutting energy loads and improving occupant comfort.

3. Design Flexibility: Power, data, and air diffusers can be repositioned quickly as library layouts evolve — a key advantage for multi-use community spaces.

4. Clean Aesthetic: With 80% of the wood ceiling left visible, the architecture highlights natural materials rather than mechanical systems.

Built for the Future

The Redmond Public Library functions as a community hub — hosting maker spaces, digital learning areas, and event zones. Tate’s modular raised flooring system gives the building long-term adaptability, allowing spaces to evolve without costly or disruptive renovations.

•    Reduced embodied carbon through slab-free design
•    Enhanced indoor air quality and comfort via UFAD
•    Reconfigurable layouts with minimal downtime
•    Exposed mass timber ceiling with clean, modern aesthetic

Project Snapshot

Location: Redmond, Oregon
Market: Library / Mass Timber
Size: 38,000 sq. ft. Total (18,500 sq. ft. of Raised Access Floors)
Raised Floor System: Tate CCN 1000/1500/1250
Finishes: Porcelain, Carpet, Linoleum
Services: Underfloor Air Distribution, Underfloor Service Distribution
Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership and Steele Associate Architects (Local Architect)
Dealer: Advanced Technology Group
General Contractor: Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company (KNCC)