California's First Full CLT Building

The new Biomass Boiler Building is the first building in California made entirely of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT). CLT stands out as a sustainable building material with a reduced carbon footprint and an inviting, natural aesthetic that is gaining traction in the US. Whereas limited uses of CLT were previously implemented across the state of California in buildings as a roof or floor system, Holmes designed the Biomass Boiler Building using CLT panels for the complete structural system to resist gravity and lateral forces, such as wind or a seismic event.

Its architectural design showcases the use of mass timber with completely exposed surfaces on the interior, and exposed wood underneath the roof eaves. The vertical surfaces of the exterior of the building were clad to protect the wood from the elements, UV, moisture and to provide additional fire protection. The timeline from concept development to substantial completion of the structure was less than a year. Rapid delivery on design, approvals and construction were critical to have the building closed and protected before the winter season. Erection of the primary superstructure occurred over just a one week period.

Owned by Plumas County, the industrial Biomass Boiler Building located adjacent to the Health and Human Services Department in Quincy. It houses an innovative biomass system using organic and sustainable waste material to generate heat for the Health and Human Services Building in as an alternative to fossil fuels. The boiler is the second of its kind in the U.S.; it is a community-scale, biomass boiler unit that runs on hog fuel, a coarse woody material generated as a byproduct directly from forest restoration and management activities.