The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
Untitled design (8)
FIRST RELEASE TICKETS ON SALE FOR URBANITY-25 THE UNMISSABLE EVENT FOR PROPERTY PROFESSIONALS IN THE ASIA PACIFIC
FIRST TICKETS ON SALE FOR URBANITY-25 UNMISSABLE FOR PROPERTY PROFESSIONALS
SEE DETAILSDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Partner Lab
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
ResidentialStaff WriterTue 24 Jan 17

Are We Entering The Age Of Timber?

SSW-1-285-17

Timber towers may be the secret to more sustainable buildings, safer construction sites and liveable, breathable cities, says UK architect Andrew Waugh.

Mr Waugh is currently getting ready to join a panel of speakers, including Michael Rose AM, Chairman of The Committee for Sydney, Joe Snell, Director of Snell Architects, and Mark Steinert, CEO and Managing Director of Stockland, at

Green Cities 2017 as they unpack the success factors in density done well.

In preparation for the panel, Mr Waugh said we are entering the age of timber.

His opinion draws heavily from his first experience with timber construction, when his firm Waugh Thistleton built the nine-storey Stadthaus in Hackney – a building now considered the world’s pioneer timber residential tower.

The 29-apartment complex was constructed from cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. Load-bearing walls, floor slabs, star and lift cores were all made entirely from timber.

Stadthaus in HackneySince Stadthaus, Waugh said builders, like his own team, are “beginning to understand the architecture of this new material” and to understand the opportunities that timber presents.

“The material is very strong and very light – and we can utilise the walls as beams and carry loads across the building, for example.

“It’s a far safer construction method, as timber is a non-toxic material. There are no fumes or dust, no heavy power tools working. It offers a much better working environment,” Mr Waugh said.

He said timber buildings also provide great thermal performance and acoustic separation, and are fast and quiet to construct. They may also be the secret to increasing the density of our urban fabric without detracting from liveability.

“Mid-rise timber towers are the perfect buildings to construct in the middle of a city," he said.

Mr Waugh current focus is on using CLT in modular housing. He said his team is taking “more and more construction off the building site and into factory conditions, but not at the expense of design or quality, which it has been previously. That’s really exciting.”

"Ultimately, the environmental benefits should always be the 'headline'.

“We are building with a carbon store, and with a material that doesn’t push more carbon into the atmosphere. That’s the imperative.

“In terms of architecture and construction, an environmentally-aware solution is always the most affordable solution in the long term. Regardless of whether the dollars and cents add up now, they shortly will.”

Images courtesy Waugh Thistleton Architects

ResidentialAustraliaConstructionArchitectureConstructionSector
AUTHOR
Staff Writer
"TheUrbanDeveloper.com is committed to delivering the latest news, reviews, opinions and insights into the best of urban development from Australia and around the world. "
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
MONARK co-founders Michael Kark (CEO) and Adam Slade-Jacobson (CIO)
Exclusive

Finding the Sweet Spot: How Monark Built its $2bn Property Empire

Leon Della Bosca
6 Min
Exclusive

Sydney’s Fear of Heights Holding Back Housing

Vanessa Croll
6 Min
North Melbourne Craigieburn HB Land EDM
Exclusive

Tribunal Finding Cruels 1000-Home Melbourne Plan

Clare Burnett
5 Min
Roseville Hycorp EDM
Exclusive

Ku-ring-gai TOD Backflip Slashes 1500 Homes from Under-Way Developments

Clare Burnett
7 Min
Exclusive

Housing Fix Sprint Begins with New Top Planner Pushing 13 Regional Plans

Phil Bartsch
8 Min
View All >
MONARK co-founders Michael Kark (CEO) and Adam Slade-Jacobson (CIO)
Exclusive

Finding the Sweet Spot: How Monark Built its $2bn Property Empire

Leon Della Bosca
Labrador Midrise Whiting Street DA hero
Residential

Labrador Scheme Joins Gold Coast Midrise Surge

Phil Bartsch
Indroo Verso 53 Coonan Street DA hero
Development

Tower Pitched as Brisbane’s Inner-West Regains Steam

Phil Bartsch
The proposal rising 20 storeys and comprising 119 units is part of a renewed vanguard pushing residential density to new…
LATEST
MONARK co-founders Michael Kark (CEO) and Adam Slade-Jacobson (CIO)
Exclusive

Finding the Sweet Spot: How Monark Built its $2bn Property Empire

Leon Della Bosca
6 Min
Labrador Midrise Whiting Street DA hero
Residential

Labrador Scheme Joins Gold Coast Midrise Surge

Phil Bartsch
2 Min
Indroo Verso 53 Coonan Street DA hero
Development

Tower Pitched as Brisbane’s Inner-West Regains Steam

Phil Bartsch
3 Min
Interiors

Carpet Zones Bring Clarity to Open Layouts

Partner Content
4 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/entering-age-timber