27 May 2025
One for the computational design experts out there. The new headquarters of the Swiss timber construction company Blumer Lehmann exemplifies contemporary timber architecture. At its core is a sculptural atrium with a freeform stair. The curved timber elements serve as both spatial enclosures and integral structural components. Their curvature inherently enhances stiffness, enabling an exceptionally slender wall construction of just 130 mm. Despite this, the structure efficiently transfers loads across five floors, supporting not only the staircase but also the adjacent floor slabs and the roof above.
Click here to read more by Achim Menges from the Institute for Computational Design and Construction, University of Stuttgart.
Click here to read the original LinkedIn post from Achim Menges.
WoodWorks Issue – 27 May 2025
Welcome
Greetings from our WoodWorks team. We’re delighted to see people registering for our Christchurch seminar and site visit on 10 June. Register now (click here) to hear about how mass timber can benefit from more application of technology. There are also some case studies of standout buildings and a site visit to 211 High Street hosted by Leighs Construction/Portus Property. Seats are limited. The seminar includes a great story about the ABBA Arena in London, a demountable studio built in CLT. Thanks to our sponsors and speakers for making this event possible.
Meanwhile activity on construction activity in New Zealand is struggling to grow, in part due to low business confidence, limited infrastructure spending and low productivity. What are your thoughts on what our mass timber architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector can do to grow our part of the economic pie? If you’ve got constructive ideas, let us know (john.stulen@innovatek.co.nz) and we’ll share it with everyone.
27 May 2025
Sustainable new office development for central Hastings
This month, at 90 Devonport Road, Tauranga City Council (TCC) staff have come together in a single office building, complete with its mass timber structure and interior features. Hard on...
27 May 2025
PostLofts: Topping up by utilizing lightweight, low-carbon mass timber
Here’s a project from Ontario, which could apply to many buildings in NZ cities: We are excited to announce PostLofts – a mixed-use development set to bring housing to downtown...
27 May 2025
Staircase envy just became a thing
One for the computational design experts out there. The new headquarters of the Swiss timber construction company Blumer Lehmann exemplifies contemporary timber architecture. At its core is a sculptural atrium...
27 May 2025
The Leed Platinum Design
When we think of mass timber, CLT, LVL and glulam come to mind. However in North America mass plywood is another arrow in the mass timber quiver. Here is a...
27 May 2025
Drone footage showing how vast the Walmart head office is
While we have covered the completion of the Walmart HQ in recent issues, here is a stunning drone clip which adds some perspective on how big this facility is. The...