Seattle Public Schools’ Mercer Middle School won a WoodWorks 2026 Wood in Architecture Award. This annual program celebrates the best in mass timber, heavy timber, light-frame, and hybrid building design.  

Mercer Middle School turns a barren asphalt plateau into a living, learning landscape shaped by mass timber, daylight, and cultural heritage. The campus reconnects students to nature and place while offering a warm, resilient environment for hands-on learning. The building is designed for low embodied carbon and long-term energy efficiency through its mass timber structural system, ground loop heat pump, durable brick façade, and low-VOC interior materials. Expansive daylighting strategies illuminate the interiors, while carefully framed views connect students and teachers to the surrounding neighborhood and distant mountain ranges. A gypcrete topping and sound isolation mat were installed over CLT floor panels while acoustic wall and ceiling panels are strategically located throughout the building to absorb sound and reverberation.  

Showcasing the beauty of mass timber and the power of natural light, the new Mercer Middle School creates a learning environment that is warm, resilient, and deeply rooted in its community and landscape. 

Mercer Middle School demonstrates how mass timber can elevate public education through sustainable, community-centered design. Exposed wood elements spark conversations about sustainability and construction, turning the building into a learning tool while fostering a deep sense of belonging for those who learn, work, and gather here. – Michael Davis, AIA, Principal, Bassetti Architects, a Design Studio of HMC Architects.  

To see the full list of winners, visit the WoodWorks website.