Bay Meadows

At Hawthorne, cross laminated timber is visible in the top floor apartments and townhomes, which have beautiful exposed natural wood (European Spruce) ceilings. Additionally, the residences at Hawthorne enjoy a remarkable amount of natural light throughout the spaces, thanks to expansive windows and lofty ceiling heights that start at ~9’on the 4th floor and go up to ~10.5’ on additional floors with some soaring even higher in the townhomes. Adding to its sustainable design, Hawthorne is topped with rooftop solar panels.

To highlight the warm California Modern aesthetic, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Mass Plywood panel (MPP) was strategically used throughout Hawthorne, and within bedroom ceilings and dens of Hawthorne’s four stand alone townhomes. Mechanical systems were coordinated to maximize the amount of exposed CLT to showcase the material, for both aesthetic reasons and to raise awareness of this high-quality material.

In the residences themselves, we celebrated the building’s state-of-the-art use of Cross-Laminated Timber by exposing the structural wood, creating a hospitable Scandinavian look. ~ Vivian Lee, Edmonds + Lee Architects, Hawthorne’s Architect of Record

Hawthorne’s architectural design team worked with Scott MacLellan, the owner of Gurnet Point, a self-performing general contracting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area, to utilize Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) throughout the building and townhomes. Through the use of project modeling and prefabrication of I-joist floors and walls, MacLellan has helped build more than 1.5 million square feet of structures throughout the Bay Area. He was also involved in the erection of San Francisco’s first downtown CLT structure.

We caught up with Scott to learn more about this stunning and sustainable product used in the natural design at Hawthorne:

What’s driving the Mass Timber momentum in the Bay Area?

Mass Timber is gaining popularity due to the potential for environmental benefits and aesthetics.  As mass timber suppliers in Canada and the Pacific Northwest grow in capacity, they are looking to expand into other U.S. markets as the product becomes more mainstream.

What are some of the benefits of using Cross Laminated Timber in construction today?

CLT allows us to prefabricate the floor system, as opposed to using traditional joist or truss framing.  This makes the building much faster and safer to assemble, with parts that are manufactured off-site using very precise machining.

In what ways is Cross Laminated Timber an environmentally sound product?

CLT comes from a renewable raw material – wood – and it’s sourced from sustainable forests.  Cross Laminated Timber sequesters carbon, and uses fewer greenhouse gases in its manufacturing process than steel or concrete.

Explore the light-filled apartment homes full of natural wood accents and designer finishes all around. A boutique community, Hawthorne is the perfect spot to experience the smaller joys of life. Just three blocks from Caltrain, Hawthorne is part of Bay Meadows Urban Village, a Transit Oriented Development. With a strong connection to nature you’ll enjoy lots of natural light and greenery in the courtyard and adjacent parks, plus an immediate connection to natural wood elements used throughout its design. Bay Meadows is walkable, bikeable, and features plenty of open space for recreation; Hawthorne even has EV chargers and a secure bike room that opens up directly to outside, making it easier to actually use your bike.

Visit the apartment website and contact the team here. 

Leasing@HawthorneSM.com | 3098 Kyne Street West San Mateo, CA 94403
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