The Gardens complex, comprising 101 apartments, is being constructed thanks to a timber product from Austria.
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), the first shipment of which arrived in 78 containers, is being used as an alternative to steel and concrete in the construction of the three-tower residential project.
Construction of the basement and concrete podium had been completed in readiness for the shipment’s arrival.
The almost-3000 cubic meters of CLT would make it the largest such project in Australia by volume of timber to be developed by Tier 1 affordable housing provider, BlueCHP Limited.
“We are thrilled to see the CLT panels here in Australia and are very excited to watch the timber structure take shape,” BlueCHP’s CEO, Charles Northcote, said.
CLT, manufactured using layers of timber to create solid panels, is a relatively new method of timber construction to Australia but has been widely accepted as a preferred innovative, environment friendly building material for medium and mid-rise construction in Europe and the US for over 15 years.
Building contractor, Strongbuild, proposed the cost effective build solution based on CLT rather than traditional concrete and steel.
The six-storey International House Sydney, under construction by Lendlease at Barangaroo, is Australia’s first office block using timbers sourced from sustainably managed forests in Austria.
Lendlease's Barangaroo South managing director, Andrew Wilson, said cited a study from Planet Ark that showed wooden interiors improved a person's emotional state, reducing blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels.
