The Beatrice Hutton Award for Commercial Architecture

2022 Queensland Architecture Awards

Timber Tower | KIRK

2022 Queensland Architecture Awards


2022 QUEENSLAND Architecture Awards

Timber Tower | KIRK

The Beatrice Hutton Award for Commercial Architecture

Jury Citation

This cleverly executed 5-storey cross laminated timber (CLT) structure was erected in less than a month through methodically planned prefabrication techniques. The Timber Tower was developed in direct response to the limited build time, fixed floor area, and the challenge of constructing in an occupied and operational site. This experimental project is the first non-residential building in Australia to use locally grown and manufactured mass timber—a true demonstration of innovative decarbonisation in the building process and the added end-of-life benefits of enabling a complete disassembly and reassembly. Innovatively drawing on residential construction techniques and material selection, the design has given the building an ambience and familiarity through its material selection of timber to door frames, detailed joinery, and wall linings. The benefits of CLT as the primary vertical structure enabled useable, column free floor area to be combined with the warmth of the exposed timber structure. The siting of the building on the north-south axis optimises passive design outcomes for the workspaces, with generous windows filling each of the spaces and allowing for diffused daylighting to the interior. The Timber Tower maximises its 360-degree views across Brisbane Airport. This project presents an alternative model for constricted program delivery, and as a whole offers a strong presence and unique structure that is nestled within a highly restricted and complex environment.

 

Project Description

The Timber Tower is an experimental project that is the first non-residential building in Australia to use locally grown and manufactured mass timber. The 5-level structure was erected in less than a month and the building, including the integrated fitout for 90 staff was completed within 7 months. It is also the first tall building to utilise CLT as the primary vertical structure. This increases the column free useable floor area with the added benefit of providing a more solid façade thereby providing a very efficient building envelope. The resulting effect of exposed timber structure, smaller intimate column free floor plates, and generous windows produces a completely new typology for the commercial office. 

The Timber Tower was developed in direct response to the project challenges of limited build time, limited site, a fixed floor area, and the construction challenges of an occupied and operational site of national significance. The tower form occupies the entire available site. The fully fabricated approach to structure and building systems allowed for “just in time” construction assembly. Timber panels were lifted directly from the transport vehicles, and the adoption of the raw structure as the primary finish provides a domestic quality to the spaces. Additional (dry trade) wall elements continue the logic of prefabricated timber elements, such as plywood.

KIRK approached the Timber Tower project as a prototype that adopted a set of building systems; timber structure, structural timber glazed façade and zinc skin. All elements were able to be manufactured in advance of the main contractor starting on-site or with very limited lead times. The timber structure was shop drawn from the architectural model prior to the engagement of the contractor – minimising the usual downtime (12 weeks) in projects. Apart from the obvious time benefits this prefabricated approach minimised on-site waste and streamlined the entire build process and demonstrates what decarbonisation can mean for the construction industry. The site itself is complex, with highly corrosive air, aircraft noise from all directions, height restrictions and high winds. These conditions informed material selection and detailing.

The Timber Tower is almost carbon neutral (due to the use of metal cladding and fixings), and the entire timber structure regenerated within 45 mins from Australian commercial plantation forests. The timber sequesters carbon for the life of the structure. Should the structure need to be removed it can be completely disassembled and reassembled – including the cladding and glazing systems which are dry jointed systems.

The Timber Tower successfully addresses the project challenges of a site previously thought of as too small, and a program that seemed impossible, yielding a project replete with ideas that can apply to many other projects and circumstance. The tower shows an alternative model for workplaces in an industrial setting. The smaller floor plates are more appropriate to many organisations in a post-pandemic world where more intimate scales are healthier and safer, as compared to large densely populated floor plates.

Client perspective:
Kirk has designed, project managed and delivered a superb outcome for Nioa. The completed tower has exceeded our brief and our business has been bolstered by such a unique and functional design. Our staff simply love working here and our clients are awed by the tower. The project included a large number of complex design, programming and detail requirements as well as a series rigorous authority successfully. I cannot recommend KIRK highly enough for any project.

Architect

Practice team

Richard Kirk, Design Architect, 2768, QLD

Andrew Magub, Project Architect, 2837, QLD

Andrew Costa, Other, Architect, 5648, QLD

Michael Croft, Graduate of Architecture

Brendan Pointon, Other, Architect, 3517, QLD

Anna Berger, Graduate of Architecture

Sascha Beck-Harris, Graduate of Architecture

Fedor Medek, Other, Detailer

Kyle Chen, Graduate of Architecture

Hayden Lau, Other, Architectural Student

Mei Xiang Tay, Other, Architectural Visualiser

Caryn Streeter, Other, Architect, 5581, QLD

Jonathan Ward, Other, Architect, 4830, QLD

Alexander Ward, Other, Architect, 4871, QLD

CONSULTANT AND CONSTRUCTION TEAM

BESIX Watpac

National Partners

Principal Partner
National Corporate Partners
National Supporting Partners
National Supporting Partners
National Insurance Partner
National Media Partner
Preferred Photography Partner

QUEENSLAND Chapter Awards Partners

Chapter Partner
Commercial Category Partner

Educational Category Partner

Sustainability Category Partner

Interior Category Partner

Interior Category Partner

Urban Design Category Partner

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