13 May 2025

Greetings from your WoodWorks news team. This week we bring you a variety of innovative projects. First up, we are pleased to announce our next two WoodWorks events. Next, a recent fire at Woodspan led to a collaboration between two of New Zealand’s leading engineered timber manufacturers. A 13-storey high-rise approved for development in Sydney’s CBD is slated to become the tallest commercial mass timber building in NSW. Learn about micro CLT from Concept Lab in Vancouver and how it fits into the toolbox of engineered timber. Finally Daniel Moroder will be the kiwi key note speaker at the International Conference on Timber Bridges.

The two next WoodWorks events:
• A one-day seminar and site visit in Christchurch on 10 June. Seminar Topics include AI in architecture and BIM case studies.
• Our annual conference later this year in Rotorua will conclude with a site visit to the new Tauranga library following the two-day conference at the Arawa Park Hotel. A ‘call-for-papers’ is now open.

Recent events at Woodspan’s New Plymouth facility led to a collaboration between two of New Zealand’s leading engineered timber manufacturers. Following a fire that damaged critical CNC machinery at their production site, Woodspan faced a significant operational setback. Techlam stepped forward to establish a strategic partnership that ensures continuity of supply for Woodspan customers while creating new opportunities for both organisations in the engineered timber sector.

A 13-storey high-rise approved for development in Sydney’s CBD is slated to become the tallest commercial mass timber building in New South Wales. The structure needed to be lightweight as the site is located above subterranean railway tunnels. Tzannes’s approach for addressing has involved transferring the load from the building’s western side to a central core using a hybrid wood and steel structure.

Concept Lab in Vancouver are testing the strength of Micro CLT from Austria. Micro CLT is a new product designed to enhance the construction market by combining the benefits of traditional plywood and full-sized CLT panels. It offers aesthetic appeal, larger shear panels (2m x 5m), and superior strength with thicknesses ranging from 19mm to 42mm, enabling longer spans and meeting heavy timber requirements. Additionally, its lightweight nature makes it suitable for complex structures, facilitating easier handling and quicker installation, thus reducing costs.

Lastly, Daniel Moroder will be the kiwi keynote speaker at the International Conference on Timber Bridges, to be held in Rotorua in June. Daniel will describe the past, present, and future of timber bridge design in New Zealand.