On the Central Washington University campus in Ellensburg, Washington, a new mass timber complex is under construction and is scheduled to be completed by 2026.

The massive, 106,000 square foot North Academic Complex (NAC) construction project includes a four-story LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold building — funded by the Washington State Legislature in 2023 — that will be home to a large number of classes for first- and second-year students, and will soon be regarded as "CWU’s preeminent academic facility."

Capital Planning and Projects Director Delano Palmer said the project is progressing. “It’s looking really good, and we’re right on schedule.”

In addition to being one of the most environmentally sound facilities in the Northwest, CWU partnered with the Northwest tribes that provided the timber used the cross-laminated support beams. 

The glulam support beams — created from wood provided by the Quinalt Tribe and facilitated by the Yakama Nation — will be fully exposed in the interior of the NAC, giving the facility a natural aura that pairs nicely with the abundant natural light.

Among the notable features found in the NAC are:

• A 240-seat TED Talks-style auditorium, complete with state-of-the-art technological capabilities
• A mock courtroom for the Law and Justice program that features a judge’s bench, witness stand, and jury panel
• An open atrium space that spans the building from east to west, providing views of the central lawn to the south
• Abundant natural light thanks to atrium skylights and large-pane windows throughout
• Geothermal building heating and cooling from extraction and injection wells pumping subsurface water to the adjacent GeoEco Plant across the street, next to Nicholson Pavilion
• A full array of rooftop solar panels, reducing the need for fossil fuel-based power

“These cross-laminated timber beams are beautiful to look at, but they also represent a more sustainable construction method than steel,” Palmer said. “Our goal with this project and future construction projects on campus is to have a minimal impact on our earth, and using materials like these in partnership with local tribal communities allows us to be more responsible stewards of the environment.”

Palmer believes the CWU community and prospective students who are considering Central will be awed once the project is completed early next year.

“The NAC is going to be a beautiful structure inside and out, and it’s something CWU will be able to highlight to our current and prospective students for decades to come,” he said.