December 2026 Monthly Meeting

Mass timber has become increasingly common in offices, schools, and other building types, but research laboratories present a different challenge. The Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex at Oregon State University, is one of the first all-mass-timber experimental research laboratory in the U.S. To be compatible with the other brick buildings within the OSU campus, the Huang Complex's facade is red brick masonry with an articulated brick coursing to provide human scale detail at ground floor. The presentation will explore the unique challenges of supporting piers of brick veneer from a mass timber structure.

Andrea Diedrich is an Associate Principal at ZGF Architects based in Portland, Oregon. Throughout her 12 years at the firm, her work has spanned aviation, mixed-use, hospitality, higher-education, laboratories, and civic and public buildings. Her Oregon-based, mass timber portfolio ranges from large-scale facilities like the Portland International Airport to community-centered projects including Latino Network’s La Plaza Esperanza and Sherwood Cabins at Camp Namanu. Her work with mass timber began with the Northwest 28th Warehouse and Great Notion Brewery and continues in her current role on the Oregon State University’s Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex project.

Across every project, she brings a collaborative, relationship-driven approach with clients, contractors, and consultants, which has made her an asset to teams of every size. She excels at navigating complex project demands while maintaining great attention to detail, designing buildings that are both deeply functional and inspiring for the communities they serve.