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Fayetteville unveils mass‑timber Woodland Junior High design; board approves Joyce Road construction contract
Summary
Designers showed updated visuals for the new Woodland Junior High — a mass‑timber, WELL/LEED‑targeted campus that preserves historic barns and adds outdoor classrooms. The board approved a separate contract to build the Joyce Road extension required for the site.
Designers presented updated schematics, renderings and an animation for the new Woodland Junior High campus on Joyce Boulevard, and the board voted to award the Joyce Road construction contract to Precision Site Work.
What was presented Moda Studio and the district described the project as a mass‑timber building emphasizing natural materials, indoor environmental quality and outdoor learning. Key design features shown at the meeting included exposed mass‑timber structure in classrooms and public spaces, a cafeteria/"cafetorium" that can double as a performance space, a terraced outdoor dining and learning terrace, preserved historic barns integrated as outdoor classrooms (one proposed as a greenhouse), native low‑impact landscaping and onsite stormwater cisterns for irrigation.
Sustainability and certification targets Designers said the district is pursuing WELL Platinum (focused on occupant health) and LEED certification, currently tracking toward LEED Silver with the intent to reach Gold as materials and systems are finalized. The team emphasized daylighting, indoor‑air quality measures and use of sustainably sourced timber to make the building both an instructional tool and an environmental commitment.
Traffic, site access and the Joyce Road extension The school will have two primary vehicle access points (car drop off and bus drop off) and an internal circulation route named "Harvest Lane." Civil engineers presented a traffic analysis showing that without any intersection improvements the added school traffic could degrade the existing Joyce Boulevard/State Highway 265 intersection to an unacceptable level; the proposed design adds dedicated lanes and roundabouts that, with the roadway work, are projected to improve level‑of‑service from failing grades to a C in the five‑year forecast.
Board action on Joyce Road The board voted to award the bid for the Joyce Road extension to Precision Site Work. Motion: award Joyce Road construction contract to Precision Site Work (mover: Tim Hudson; seconder: Katrina Osborne). Vote: 7–0 in favor. The low bid was $2.9 million (district staff reported competing bids ranged up to about $4.1 million); the city agreed to a $400,000 cost share to reduce the district’s portion.
Timeline and next steps Design representatives said the project is in late construction‑document development; grading permits and foundation permit applications were in process. The district and contractor plan to start site work in mid‑March, with a ceremonial groundbreaking scheduled for March 14; full building permit and phased construction will follow. The project team also said more detailed wayfinding, landscape maintenance planning and branding materials will be developed before occupancy.
Community context Speakers noted that native planting zones are intended to reduce long‑term mowing and ongoing maintenance; the design team acknowledged the need for a maintenance and establishment plan and said installations will favor low‑maintenance native species once established.
Ending District officials said they will return with permitting progress, construction milestones and further cost and materials decisions as the project advances.
