Can we leave the timber exposed and still create a great place to learn?
We’ve been working with Mithun and Seattle area schools to explore acoustic performance at four recently completed mass timber schools. Our research includes acoustic field testing and parametric 3D acoustic modeling with auralizations.
One encouraging finding: most classrooms should be able to achieve adequately short reverberation times with fully exposed timber ceilings, using sound absorbing wall panels and carpet. At the Washington School for the Deaf, measured results were within the classroom standard’s verification tolerance without any sound absorbing ceiling finishes. The 3D acoustic modeling also revealed a surprising tradeoff: ceiling treatment generally requires less material, while wall panels let more wood remain visible. There’s no single solution for every classroom, but better data gives designers more options.
LSTN Partner Denis Blount presented the field research at the Acoustical Society of America meeting in Philadelphia in May 2026. On November 7, he’ll join Mithun’s Séamus Kelly at the national A4LE LearningSCAPES conference in Seattle to share the expanded study, “The Sound of Timber Schools: Field Lessons in Acoustics & Inclusive Classroom Design.”
We’re excited to help teams balance acoustic comfort, exposed timber, cost and material use in the next generation of schools.
