The Texas A&M University System has partnered with Energy Architects and Vaughn Construction to build a new headquarters for the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) in Austin, TX. The design and engineering teams have never worked with mass timber before and delegated design entirely to Timberlab.

TDEM currently has to rent 25,000+ square feet of conference space and guest rooms at a nearby hotel for personnel overflow. The new 90,000-square-foot HQ will re-centralize the department and provide more than enough space for offices, common areas, and a Geographic Information System operations room.

This project had a uniquely long preconstruction phase, and Timberlab was able to be involved from the start of the design process. The team won the job after a 30-person interview and a quick pivot to Spruce Pine Fir after learning that the owners did not like the look of the Southern Yellow Pine that was initially proposed.

Adding another floor during the LOD350 phase could have been a challenge, but Precon communicated the possibility early on to the rest of the team. Engineering was able to account for a potential extra floor from the start, and DCE took advantage of the design’s repetitive floor plans, working together to take the change in stride despite the short timeframe.