Cross laminated timber (CLT) and a lightweight steel grid frame have been used to build a five-storey extension to a Melbourne office building, 276 Flinders Street.
The extension adds around 3300 square metres of commercial office space to the existing building.
Multiplex Regional Director New Business, Ross Snowball, said developers are turning to the properties they already own to give them more value.
“Given the lack of land available in Melbourne’s CBD, it makes sense developers are looking up to their rooftops to give them more bang for their buck,” Snowball said.
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“Innovative construction methods such as CLT lend themselves to these types of projects, because they are up to 80 per cent lighter than traditional structures. It is also a more sustainable solution.
“Timber has lower embodied energy and the benefit of carbon storage. From a construction point of view, there is less disruption to the surrounding buildings and roads and a faster building process.”
Multiplex Senior Design Manager, Jules Tribuzio, said architects are promoting this type of architecture and clients are increasingly interested in sustainability.
“There is certainly increased interest in ecologically sustainable architecture. 276 Flinders street has recently achieved a 5-Star Green Star rating and building with timber was certainly a part of achieving that,” Tribuzio said.