Why Wood

Key Features:

• Pod-shaped structure built ten metres high in a redwood tree.
• An arborist was contracted to select a robust tree and the one used is about 40 years old.
• The tree was tested for the amount of give in strong winds by using a line attached to a bulldozer.
• Design is inspired through forms found in nature and is reminiscent of a butterfly’s chrysalis.
• Clad with vertical timber fins which will aid natural cooling.
• Platform has to support the weight of about 18 people, with access provided by an elevated tree-top walkway.
• The tree’s diameter at the 10 meter point is 1.7m and the structure is securely fastened to the trunk using steel saddles.
• Parts of the walkway were built using redwood milled from two dead trees from the surrounding forest, which was originally planted for wood chipping.
• Sustainably-grown pine and poplar were used for the vertical fins and slats respectively.

• Timber ceilings feature prominently in this redevelopment project for Burwood Hospital.
• Plywood panels, perforated with large diameter holes, create an elegant ceiling through the entrance and waiting areas while also providing acoustic absorption.
• Circulation spaces feature timber-slatted ceilings that also act as acoustic control elements.
• The warmth of the timber contrasts the harder wearing surfaces of the floors and walls and is an appropriate choice for the hospital environment.

• Height constraints and a contractor familiar with lightweight construction led to a timber-framed option being developed for these inner-city apartments.
• A reinforced concrete car park was formed on the ground level, with a six-level timber-framed superstructure sitting above.
• Most apartments are studios, with relatively small proportions, meaning bracing lines were available at 4 m centres in each direction.
• Grade F8 timber studs are used, with plywood nail fixed over them.
• Floors consist of 19 mm plywood fixed over timber I-section joists.
• This apartment block demonstrates that multi-storey buildings can be built successfully from timber.

• This private chapel was hand-built by the local farming community.
• Several species of cut timber were available and used in a manner that reduced the requirement for other materials.
• The exterior is clad with radiata pine board and batten while the interior uses a mixture of oil-finished timbers.
• A wide pivoting entry door is made from split macrocarpa with a taraire frame.
• A cross-glazed wall contains a mix of redwood, saligna, Japanese cedar, white poplar and puriri.
• The ceiling uses radiata pine and macrocarpa sarking.

• Designed by Noel Lane, the house is constructed mainly from wood, of which many elements are recycled.
• The various shades and textures offered by the different species and ages of the wood used create an elaborate interior.
• Internal walls have been left unlined and are used to house pieces of artwork and large timber trusses support the roof and a walkway.

• Wood is used extensively throughout the house, its natural look complementing the native bush setting beautifully.

• The occupants enjoy the natural beauty of the largely exposed timber framing including the large rafters that line the ceiling.

• Principles of sustainability and environmental responsiveness were employed in the design, considering especially the thermal environment and selection of materials.