As both a licensed Architect and Structural Engineer in the state of California, Melissa has a broad perspective on the building industry and technical design expertise from seismic to hurricane regions. Over the past few years, she helped expand WoodWorks’ audience to include real estate developers and has been a leader in programming mass timber content for national ULI audiences including: Spring and Fall Meetings, Product Councils, and Greenprint member firms. Melissa manages WoodWorks’ Mass Timber Business Case Studies which analyze how mass timber can create value for multifamily, office and student housing developments. Currently, she is developing resources to help expand mass timber to the industrial sector. Formerly Vice-Chair of the Sustainable Development Council, Melissa has a passion for building the business case for sustainability and resilience.
Speaking at
Tue May 13
11:30 AM — 11:50 AM (GMT-07:00) Mountain Time
Colorado Convention Center - Lower Level, Mile High Ballroom - Area B
Mass Timber on Campus: Investing in the Future of Student Housing and Facilities
Explore how mass timber is transforming student housing and campus facilities through smart and sustainable development. This session features insights from a developer with experience delivering mass timber projects across multiple U.S. campuses. Highlights include a public/private partnership at Colorado School of Mines, where four mass timber student housing buildings achieved greater density under height restrictions, as well as projects like a dining hall at the University of Washington and a multiuse student success center at the University of Southern Maine. The discussion will cover design and construction lessons, cost deltas over baseline systems, and how exposed timber supports sustainability goals while creating warm, biophilic spaces that enhance the student experience.