In Clark, New Jersey, Structure Tone New Jersey is hard at work building L’Oréal’s brand-new, cutting-edge Research & Innovation (R&I) Center. This project is the company’s largest investment in such a facility to date, with a development budget of $140 million.
Structure Tone joined the project roster in 2021. The team oversaw multiphase construction, including major site work and structural extensions totaling 90,000 and 10,000 square feet. Renovations also covered 135,000 square feet. To improve interdisciplinary collaboration and stimulate creativity, the team is building new open workspaces and collaboration areas. The construction also includes a cafeteria, laboratory spaces, and various amenities to support a cutting-edge work environment.
MASS TIMBER: A SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SOLUTION
In line with the company’s “L’Oréal for the Future” sustainability pledge, L’Oréal designed its new research and development center to meet the highest sustainability standards. The team reduced energy and resource consumption, minimized waste production, and created multifunctional indoor and outdoor green spaces to support biodiversity and enhance the local ecology.
Using mass timber, particularly cross-laminated timber (CLT) decking, is a crucial component of sustainable construction. Mass wood is a renewable resource that is gaining popularity because it can lessen the climate change impact of the construction industry while also satiating designers’ desire for biophilic architectural solutions.
The Structure Tone team has so far installed 7,500 square feet of 3-ply (about 4-1/8″) on the clerestory sections and 82,500 square feet of 5-ply CLT decking (approximately 6-7/8″) on the main roof deck. Engineers determine the thicknesses based on structural needs and future expansion plans. For example, if the owner later adds additional stories or columns to the roof, the 5-ply provides the necessary structural floor support.
This was the first time using CLT for many trades, as mass timber is still becoming more popular in tri-state building. For advice, the team therefore turned to seasoned subcontractors. According to Structure Tone project executive Dave Adams, “We subcontracted with a mass timber contractor, Nordic Structures (based in Montreal), to equip and install.” “They use a local erector to subcontract while fabricating their own product.”
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES WITH MASS TIMBER
Given that mass timber was relatively new to the crew, it became crucial to analyze, resolve, and record the difficulties. The addition of extra steel to the margins of CLT planks was one issue. Any duct or pipe penetration that is more than three feet requires Nordic’s crew to be present on the job site. The team had to complete all MEPS coordination before plank fabrication, since bringing a subcontractor into the field later would be expensive.
It was particularly challenging to stain the CLT’s exposed underside. Staining panels after installation can be challenging unless ambient conditions are ideal. However, the fabricator lacks enough production space to lay out, stain, and dry the panels. They also cannot stack them on flatbeds for shipping until that process is complete. Ideally, Adams explains, the crew would wait until the roof is complete. With full temperature and humidity control, they could then stain the CLT panels. But to keep the project on track, the team had to hang the MEPS systems first. As a result, they postponed staining the CLT until after they installed the equipment.
The exposed steel is painted a different color than the CLT panels, which adds a little more complexity. “It becomes difficult for the team to mask or shield the CLT,” says Adams. “This happens when we spray the MEPS and steel.”The challenge increases once the MEPS systems are in place. To avoid discoloring the decking, we eventually had to limit the amount of spraying. We also realized that most of the steel needed to be painted by hand.
EMBRACING INNOVATION AND GROWTH
The team working with CLT has experienced a small learning curve. So far, they believe the effort is worthwhile. Sustainability was the main reason L’Oréal chose to use CLT. This approach offers several environmental benefits, including lower emissions, sustainable sourcing, and reduced waste. For Structure Tone New Jersey, the process is just as important as the outcome.
Adams states, “We’re proud to collaborate with L’Oréal to design an environment that reflects the company’s commitment to responsible innovation.” He adds, “We share similar ideals. We’ll definitely apply the knowledge we’ve gained from this experience to our future projects.”
It is anticipated that L’Oréal’s new R&I Center would be completely operational by 2024.
