The first delivery of timber has arrived for the construction of the world’s largest engineered timber office building at 25 King Street, Bowen Hills.
Developed by Lendlease, this will be their fifth engineered timber building in Australia. In the form of columns, beams and floor panels, the cross laminated timber (CLT) will add to the total 3,097 individual timber elements involved with the construction of the nine-storey building.
Image: Brisbanedevelopment.com
General Manager for Lendlease Building, Tony Orazio, says the development is one of a kind in Brisbane. “As the world’s largest and tallest engineered timber office building, 25 King will be one of the most exciting additions ever made to the Brisbane Skyline”.
Mr Orazio says the construction of the building is well underway with the installation of the first pre-assembled modules taking place. “A key element of 25 King’s structure is the use of prefabricated modules for each floor. These modules are pre-assembled at ground height and then lifted into place to form what looks like a wooden lego structure,” says Mr Orazio.
The building is a world first in sustainable architecture, targeting 6-star Green Star Design using 67 percent less electricity and 55 percent less potable water. “The fascinating thing about building with timber is that its strength is akin to concrete and steel, it can be produced economically in a factory environment and most impotently boasts a plethora of sustainability benefits,” says Mr Orazio.
Image: Artist impression Brisbanedevelopment.com
Interestingly enough, the timber used for the development comes from a spruce tree. Why? These trees are exceptionally fast-growing species found in Austria. In fact, the time it will take the Austrian forests to grow back the timber used for 25 King Street will be as little as six hours in total.
What could this environmentally sustainable building in the heart of the city mean for the future of development in Brisbane? It’s expected upcoming developments will find additional, modern ways to encourage sustainability, but only time will tell.
