Following a September 12 groundbreaking, Leers Weinzapfel's Conservation Legacy Center for the non-profit National Museum of Forest Service History in Missoula, Montana is now under construction. The project’s purpose is to educate the public about the history and ongoing conservation work of the United States Forest Service (USFS). Its design is inspired by the qualities of the

USFS forests as valuable recreational and economic resources across the nation’s history and also echoes features of the surrounding mountain landscape.

The Center itself will be an exhibit, featuring representative wood species found throughout the US, wood products developed with USFS Forest Products Lab, and an array of mass timber products including glulams, cross laminated timber (CLT) and Mass Plywood Panels (MPP). Tree-like columns will exhibit timber craft and advanced engineering, showcasing sixteen representative trees from national forests. The unique two-way span capability of MPP is exhibited in the folded roof geometry over the building’s south-facing portico and main lobby. The predominantly wood building provides a new focus on a sustainable way of building, comprising low embodied carbon, renewable materials, and carbon sequestration.

Visitors will experience curated exhibits within as well as views to the Museum’s campus. Supplemental features of the Center and campus provide additional visitor experiences including archival repository processing, forested landscape with featured specimen trees among exhibits to the north, and the dramatic open vista and mountain views to the south. The south-facing portico incorporates passive cooling and heating principles by blocking hot summer sun while welcoming winter rays. A roof deck provides panoramic views of the campus and access to a fire tower.

“The Conservation Legacy Center will demonstrate an encyclopedia of timber technologies, ranging from cutting-edge mass timber products and digital fabrication to traditional wood joinery and a ‘forest’ of 14 iconic wood species," says Tom Chung, FAIA , LEED AP, BD+C, and Principal-in-Charge. "This approach will generate a compelling space as well as a one-of-a-kind example that affirms the importance of our national forests and the many wood species that have provided vast construction resources over the past century.” The project is scheduled for completion in 2025.