Last month, The Conversation introduced you to something called mass timber. It refers to large panels of “engineered wood” that are stronger and lighter than steel.
The SHADE Institute in Honolulu recently held an event that showcased the material. Just after the event, it was announced that a Hawaiʻi school was one of four across the country set to receive nearly $400,000 in seed money for its design of a new school in central Maui that uses mass timber.
Could this be the project that resets how we build public schools? Riki Fujitani is the executive director of the Hawaiʻi School Facilities Authority. He recently returned from accepting the awarded seed money in Boston and spoke to HPR about the latest.
This story aired on The Conversation on Nov. 14, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
