Embracing Innovation, Collaboration and a Greener Built Environment by Campbell McInnes
Melbourne’s vibrant CBD was the setting for the Timber Construct 2025 conference, held at the Rydges Hotel. Organised by Andrew Dunn and TDA, the event marked 25 years of timber innovation in construction—evolving from its roots as Frame Australia and Timber Offsite Construction. This year’s program was a bold celebration of the industry’s transformation and its growing role in sustainable construction.
Session One: Building Beyond Convention – Developer’s Timber Awakening
Chair: Georgia Couts, Brand Manager, NeXTimber at Timberlink
Rory Hunter, CEO of MODEL, opened the conference with an inspiring keynote. From rehabilitating a Cambodian island into the globally lauded Song Saa eco-retreat, to sailing solo from Hong Kong to Cairns, Hunter’s life journey embodies bold thinking—an approach he’s now applying to Australia’s Build-to-Rent (BTR) sector.
With 700 highly sustainable apartments planned for inner Melbourne, Hunter emphasised the importance of aligning construction with environmental goals, echoing his call: “We need to have different thinking for new buildings.”
Chet Ratnakara, Managing Director at Versobuild, followed with insights from the Geneo Glulam Canopy project in Singapore—now touted as the tallest timber canopy in the world. Ratnakara highlighted the complexity and elegance of this 27-metre high, 3,000m2 glulam structure, manufactured in Finland and assembled in just five months. He detailed the carbon storage benefits (952 tonnes of CO2e) and the precision logistics required to deliver such an ambitious offsite timber solution.
Session Two: Future Frame Innovations
Chair: Kersten Gentle, CEO, FTMA Australia
Nick Hewson, MD of Aboralis, led with a compelling vision for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Hewson dismantled misconceptions that MMC is purely prefabrication, instead framing it as a mindset and process shift. Timber is ideally suited to MMC due to its workability, sustainability, and performance.
Barry Brunton, Director of Legacy Engineering, expanded on the rise of DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) in timber framing. “We’re no longer just drawing buildings—we’re designing data for manufacture,” he said. From 4D modelling to MEP coordination, Brunton explored how digital tools are transforming efficiency, site safety, and sustainability. He stressed designing for lifting, transport and tolerances as critical parameters—not afterthoughts.
Dr Louise Wallis, Deputy Director at the Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood, presented the Future Lightweight Timber Framing project—a national R&D initiative funded by AFWI and FFI, involving eight universities and 16 industry partners. The project aims to improve the productivity and reliability of timber framing, with studies on stud distortion, nogging efficiency, and composite wall systems.
Session Three: Timber’s Competitive Positioning in Residential and Commercial Construction
Chair: Alex Campbell, Regional Director ANZ, Pliteg
Bruce Wallace, Owner–Director of The Truss Joint, delivered a passionate, address titled The Timber Counteroffensive. With 38 years in truss fabrication, Wallace challenged the industry to reclaim market share from steel and concrete “one job at a time.” His message: timber is not just a material—it’s a mindset, a network, and a competitive weapon if used right.
Robert Nestic, Director and Senior Engineer at TGA Engineering, outlined the transformative potential of timber beams in residential construction. With clear comparisons between timber and steel in terms of cost, ease of installation, and build efficiency, Nestic showcased: Australia’s largest timber warehouse, a 21,000m2 facility in NSW for Meyer Timber—proving timber’s strength at scale.
George Dolezal, Principal Engineer at Meyer Timber, wrapped up the session with innovative solutions in bracing for modern homes. As open-plan living trends reduce bracing wall availability, Dolezal introduced meyBRACE, a proprietary timber portal system designed for narrow walls and high wind loads. Tested at QUT, this system integrates seamlessly with timber frames and offers both engineering certainty and ease of installation. He also introduced the MTB prefabricated shear wall system, developed to support larger openings while maintaining structural integrity.
Session 4: Point-Supported Mass Timber Building Systems – Structural Innovation in Mass Timber
Chair: Dr. Louise Wallis, Deputy Director, Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood, University of Tasmania
1. Post + Plate: The New Paradigm in Mass Timber Construction. Context: Research Project #104 – Building 4.0 CRC.
Speakers: Dr. Richard Nero (University of Melbourne) & Karthik Ganesan (TTW Engineers)
Key points: Post + Plate delivers significant benefits in material efficiency, layout flexibility, and installation speed and reduces crane time, simplifies connections, allows flat soffits, and supports service reticulation. Research Findings: Radiata pine rolling shear strength tests yielded a 1.7x strength amplification factor and punching shear capacity found to be 70% higher than expected from material fundamentals.
Post + Plate in Practice: Case study: A 12-storey residential building in Sydney.
CLT floors supported by, CLT walls, Glulam posts, Steel posts and beams. System found to be ~15% more cost-effective and ~50% faster to install.
2. Stone Wool Solutions for Timber Fire Resistance
Speakers: Andy Russell (Proctor Group Australia) & Jeremy Church (NeXTimber)
Highlights: Triple benefit of stone wool with fire resistance, thermal insulation and acoustic performance.
Compliance Pathways: Aligned with NCC Clause C2D13 for fire-protected timber. Provides an alternative to traditional fire- grade plasterboard as a non-combustible covering under Specification 10.
Testing: AS1530.4 fire tests conducted at CSIRO North Ryde. Both CLT floors and lightweight timber walls maintained required temperature thresholds (≤300°C and ≤250°C respectively) for 45+ mins. No failure in structural adequacy, integrity, or insulation at 152 mins.
Material Advantages: High melting point, hydrophobic, vapour open, rigid. Suitable for external walls of Type A/B buildings where non-combustibility is required.
Benefits for Designers/Builders: Simplifies external wall build-ups. Multi-use (fire, thermal, acoustic) with fewer layers. Fast installation, no wet trades, less surface prep.
3. Novel Connection Systems for Mass Timber
Speaker: Sebastian Jaimes, Rothoblaas
Topic: Streamlining Design and Construction with Innovative Connectors
Focus: Radial Connectors – Cylindrical symmetry connectors for timber-to-timber or hybrid connections (timber to steel/ concrete). Ring Connectors – Designed for structural panels, especially useful for prefabrication; fully embedded, disassemble, and ETA-certified. Emphasis on construction tolerances, ease of transport, and site efficiency.
4. Fire-Retardant Coatings for Timber
Speaker: Gareth Connell, Cabot’s (Woodcare Brands: Integrain, Cabot’s)
Topic: Making Wood Safer in a Fire – Intumescent Coatings
From industrial use in the 1940s to modern multi-layered systems for timber protection.
Interior systems: Group 1 rating under AS5637.1. Transparent or stained finishes with low film build Ultra-low VOC (<1g/L). Exterior systems (in progress): Targeting BAL29 compliance. Reducing film build for softwoods.
Advantages include compatible with solid and engineered timber. Ease of onsite/ in-house application. Offers a DTS compliance route with relevant testing and approvals underway.
Session Five: Mastering Timber – Global Perspectives on Architectural Excellence in Wood Design
Chair: Kevin Peachey, Head of Built Environment Programs, Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA)
Kevin opened this internationally focused session by reaffirming WoodSolutions’ commitment to design innovation and cross- border collaboration.
Daryl Patterson, Director at West Island Workshop, brought over 15 years of insight into timber and industrialised construction. He identified chronic productivity challenges — from skill shortages to inflated build costs — and introduced System 600, a prototype solution developed initiative by Homes NSW and Building 4.0. Centred on productisation, the system enables scalable, simplified timber construction using standardised components — a “design first” approach to solving construction inefficiencies.
Daniel Firth (PKA) and Alex Campbell (Pliteq ANZ) tackled the often-misunderstood issue of acoustic performance in lightweight timber structures.
From Japan, Yuichiro Shinohara and Shingi Tarirah of the Shinohara Group delivered a compelling presentation on pre-cut timber technology and its integration into large- scale, modern projects — from the timber elements of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic venues to Expo 2025 Osaka. They also provided a cultural perspective, framing their work in the company’s mantra: “Tree/Wood is the origin” — highlighting timber’s place not only in sustainable construction, but in tradition and identity.
Session Six: Timber’s Greatest Challenges – Acoustic Performance and Fire Safety
Chair: Phil Tondl, Group Manager of Design and Innovation, Lipman
Nate Helbach, joining remotely from the U.S., introduced Neutral’s modular building systems, which incorporate geothermal cooling, steam heating, and triple-glazed facades to slash operational energy. Most notably, Helbach shared progress on 1005 N Edison Street, North America’s tallest mass timber residential building. He reinforced that far from being a risk, mass timber’s predictable charring behaviour offers a proven fire strategy.
Dr Ryan Hilditch and Dr Imran Ahamed from Halliwell presented a comparative review of fire codes across six countries, placing Australia’s National Construction Code (NCC) in the global context. Their call to action was clear: if timber is to play a serious role in Australia’s built future, performance-based fire design must evolve alongside international science and practice.
Boris Iskra, National Codes & Standards Manager at FWPA, closed the session by outlining the industry’s plan to introduce an Industry Standard for 18-storey exposed mass timber buildings.
Session Seven: Case Study – Canopy at Chifley, Moorabbin Airport
Chair: Perry Forsythe, Emeritus Professor, University of Technology Sydney
The focus moved from theory to application with this compelling case study of Australia’s largest mass timber industrial development.
Architects Philippa Carr and Jacob Blennerhassett described the early concept and client engagement for the 15,000m2 multi-tenancy development. With 136 car spaces and seven EV chargers, the design featured timber prominently across its façades, with four different protective coatings used based on exposure.
Tyson Infanti, Director of Business Development at Hasslacher Timber Australia, explained the extensive international logistics behind the supply. The project involved 1,372m3 of glulam, 33m3 of CLT, and 21.3 tonnes of steel, manufactured across five European factories and shipped in 33 containers. Despite shipping delays from the Red Sea crisis, successful delivery hinged on detailed planning, factory-applied coatings, and centralised project management.
Chris Lindsay, Director at H Troon, provided a builder’s perspective, outlining the value engineering decisions that kept the program on track.
Session Eight: Case Study – Air New Zealand Hangar 4
Chair: Kylan Low, Engineer, Timber Development Association
Design and construction of the largest timber aircraft hangar in the Southern Hemisphere: Air New Zealand Hangar 4. [Special note: Timber Trader news has featured this during the design and construction phases, and the completed hanger is shown within our NZ update in this issue]
Closing Reflections: Collaboration is the New Currency
Timber Construct 2025 made one thing clear: the success of timber is not just in its materials — it’s in the method.
From Japanese joinery and modular fire- resilient systems to landmark builds like Canopy at Chifley and Air NZ’s Hangar 4, the sessions demonstrated timber’s capacity to deliver at every scale — if paired with the right systems, strategy and skills.
Technical, regulatory and logistical challenges remain — particularly around insurance, acoustic standards, code evolution, and cost pressures. But every challenge presented at the conference was met with an equal or greater innovation. Whether it was reducing crane time with pre- routered beams or re-engineering entire truss systems in response to shifting wind codes, the industry continues to adapt, collaborate and push boundaries.
In the words of NZ Strong’s Jimmy Corric, “The best innovation often goes unnoticed.” But at Timber Construct 2025, the innovations were impossible to ignore.
