Fayetteville design firm receives $258,000 grant

Fayetteville-based design firm modus studio will use a $258,000 grant to develop a mass-timber storm-shelter prototype that meets federal safe-room standards. The funding comes from the Softwood Lumber Board and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

A team led by modus studio will complete structural and impact testing of cross-laminated timber (CLT) assemblies. The team includes Aspect Engineers, Mercer Mass Timber, Sterling Structural and ICC-ES. Cross-laminated timber is the most common type of mass timber and is made by gluing layers of lumber at 90-degree angles.

According to a news release, most storm shelters that meet ICC 500 standards for Federal Emergency Management Agency-compliant safe rooms rely on concrete or precast concrete block construction. The testing will verify compliance with ICC 500 tornado shelter criteria, including missile impact, wind pressure and connection performance.

“This started as an Arkansas conversation,” said Jason Wright, partner at modus studio. “We have the forests. We have the manufacturers. We have school districts required by code to build storm shelters. If we can validate CLT for this application here, it opens a responsible, scalable pathway not just for our state, but for tornado-prone communities across the country.”

Upon completion, the project will include an ICC-ES compliance package, a technical report, and a publicly available white paper outlining test results and certification pathways. It’s to serve as a resource for architects, engineers, manufacturers and school districts.

Founded in 2008, modus studio has 27 full-time employees and has completed more than 230 projects nationwide.