Western Michigan University held a topping-off ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the placement of the last mass-timber panel atop its Golden Oaks Residence Halls project. WMU President Russ Kavalhuna joined students in signing the final panel before it was hoisted into position, marking a milestone in both construction and campus legacy.
Golden Oaks spans over 270,000 square feet and will accommodate more than 1,000 first-year students. The four-story building, designed by Hanbury Design, uses a hybrid system of three-ply cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor slabs and prefabricated cold-formed metal stud wall panels to accelerate the schedule and showcase the natural warmth of wood.
Key structural components, including 11-foot-wide by four-story-tall exterior wall panels fitted with insulated metal panels (IMPs), were assembled off-site. This off-site strategy slashed the design and construction timeline by about 25% compared to traditional methods, stabilising costs and reducing on-site labour demands. By choosing mass timber over conventional steel and concrete, Golden Oaks reduces its embodied carbon footprint by roughly threefold and offsets emissions equivalent to removing 600 cars from the road each year—an environmental win built into every beam and slab.
Inside, exposed timber columns, beams and ceilings replace standard cinderblock and dropped ceilings, creating a biophilic atmosphere proven to lower stress and boost satisfaction among residents. “This project is an entirely different approach to a residence hall at Western,” said Barry Olson, associate vice president for student affairs. “The use of mass timber, as well as a strong sense of connection to the wooded environment surrounding the Valleys, will provide a cutting-edge residence hall experience that adds warmth and a true sense of home.”
“It’s the largest mass timber project in the state, and we believe it’s the largest residence hall project going on, certainly in the state, and possibly nationwide,” Olson added.
For many students, the highlight was leaving their own legacy on the final panel. “If my kids come here, if my family members come here—I can be like, ‘Oh! My name is right there!’ You know what I’m saying? It’s pretty dope,” said junior Andre Millering. “I love the fact that I’m leaving my mark on this campus,” said sophomore Piya Bhatt. Meanwhile, first-generation student Nelson Paulino travelled from the Dominican Republic to sign the board. “I was very happy to be able to sign the panel. It’s simply a testament to God’s faithfulness; it’s a miracle I’m here,” he said. Later, he added, “I was very proud to be able to sign my family’s name, with my last name on it.”
With the final panel in place, Golden Oaks is on track to open in fall 2026. When doors swing open, the students who signed that board will step into more than just a dorm—they’ll inhabit the very heartwood of WMU’s newest landmark.
