The design of the 500-seat Latitude Dining Commons features an eye-catching, sustainable Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) roof spanning the interior dining area and extending outside to the dramatically cantilevered roof overhangs. The light and open two-story building serves as a campus gateway, connecting residential and new science learning areas with the central campus.To preserve the architectural beauty of the CLT roof, R+C used concealed glulam beam connectors to create clean surfaces and matched the species of trees used for CLT and glulam materials to provide visual continuity in terms of color and texture. In addition, we worked with the MEP engineers to organize utilities, minimizing exposure at the finished CLT surfaces, so that they blend in. We also worked closely with industry partners to verify that the structural system–composed of steel columns and braces with a CLT diaphragm and collectors–met the project’s stringent code and technical requirements.