Slide 1
Slide 2
Slide 3
Slide 4
nez_perce_kamiah_mass_Timber_CLT_Glulam_America2

The Nez Perce Clearwater NFS’s Office

Demonstrating Federal Stewardship Through Mass Timber Innovation

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Supervisor’s Office in Kamiah, Idaho, stands as an early landmark in federal mass timber adoption. Serving as one of the U.S. Forest Service’s inaugural applications of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), the two-story, 16,000-square-foot facility replaces an aging complex with an energy-efficient, biophilic administrative headquarters. Designed by Mosaic Architecture, the structure harmonizes with the rural north-central Idaho landscape, putting domestic wood science on display to embody the agency’s mission of sustainable forest management and resource stewardship.

High-Performance Wood Systems in Remote Architecture

The building utilizes a hybrid mass timber structural frame consisting of a post-and-beam glulam superstructure paired with exposed CLT roof panels and interior CLT assemblies. The design team extended the application of mass timber into the structural core by utilizing prefabricated CLT panels to construct the elevator shaft. This approach demonstrated that mass timber can deliver exceptional structural performance, acoustic isolation, and natural biophilic warmth within a cost-effective civic building budget, while avoiding the heavy logistical hurdles of pouring concrete in remote geographies.

Project Highlights

  • Federal Mass Timber Precedent: Represents one of the first Cross-Laminated Timber facilities commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service, setting a benchmark for federal low-carbon procurement.
  • Turnkey Timber Supply: SmartLam manufactured and supplied the high-performance Cross-Laminated Timber package, including the roof panels and the prefabricated mass timber elevator shaft.
  • Schedule Compression in Remote Conditions: Prefabricated mass timber elements allowed a six-person framing crew to assemble the structural frame rapidly, cutting an entire month off the critical path and enclosing the building envelope before the onset of winter.
  • Validated Life Cycle Performance: Featured in a WoodWorks Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA), validating substantial reductions in embodied carbon, reduced structural weight, and accelerated construction speed compared to traditional steel alternates.

Technical Execution

Constructed by Quality Contractors, LLC, under Type V-B construction, the project required precise coordination between structural engineers Morrison-Maierle, timber supplier RedBuilt, and connection hardware provider Simpson Strong-Tie. SmartLam precision-manufactured the CLT components to exacting tolerances, ensuring seamless integration on site with minimal field adjustment. Completed on schedule and within budget, the Nez Perce-Clearwater Supervisor’s Office proves that regional mass timber supply chains can de-risk complex schedules and deliver durable, high-performance civic facilities even in remote locations.

Back to Projects