Sunrise Water Authority Administrative & Field Operations Facility

The Sunrise Water Authority Administrative & Field Operations Facility brings mass timber to an unexpected project type: a combined administrative and field operations campus serving more than 54,000 customers in Clackamas, Oregon. Designed to unify office staff and field crews, the facility uses cross-laminated timber (CLT) as both structure and architectural expression, demonstrating how mass timber can deliver performance, clarity, and durability in civic and light-industrial environments.

Early in the design process, the team recognized that wood offered significant advantages for a project grounded in stewardship and environmental responsibility. CLT became a natural fit, not only for its carbon benefits, but also for its ability to create warm, daylight-rich spaces that support staff well-being. The administrative building features exposed CLT roof and floor panels that establish a calm, resilient interior environment while reducing reliance on finish materials. This expression extends to the field operations shop, where CLT panels form the primary overhead structure, an uncommon application for a shop facility that typically defaults to steel or pre-engineered solutions.

The project was designed and documented entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic, amid significant market volatility and construction cost escalations. When rising costs triggered multiple rounds of value engineering, the shop building’s structure became a focus. A pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) was evaluated as an alternative; however, replacing mass timber threatened to compromise design quality, operational efficiency, and the city-approved architectural concept. Through close collaboration between FFA and KPFF, the structural system was refined and simplified—enough for the owner to retain confidence in CLT. This decision preserved not only the material’s environmental value, but also its functional and experiential contributions to the campus.

Mass timber supports the project’s sustainability goals alongside a high-performance envelope, deep overhangs for solar control, and a rooftop photovoltaic array with future expansion capacity. Together, these strategies create a clear pathway toward net-zero operations.

For Sunrise Water Authority, the campus is more than a new workplace. It is a visible commitment to long-term environmental stewardship and a demonstration of how mass timber can elevate the performance, durability, and civic character of essential public infrastructure.