The 2014 Timber Design Awards announced last week saw many projects with high levels of sustainability – including the use of certified, recycled and engineered timbers – recognised for excellence.
The Dandenong Mental Health Facility, designed by Bates Smart in collaboration with Irwin Alsop Group and built by Kane Constructions, was the major winner, scoring the overall Timber Design Award 2014 and also the major award in the Multi-Residential category.
The DMHF was designed to promote better healing through the use of natural light and green views, and features a number of initiatives designed to achieve better environmental performance including the use of double glazing and low e-glass throughout.
To minimise solar glare even further, blinds have been installed within the interstitial spaces between the glazing panels, which completely removed the ligature risk associated with blinds in mental health facilities.
The project also has energy-efficient in-slab heating, and an extensive stormwater retention system to manage run-off that will also store and reuse the water for irrigation.
Library at the Dock by Lend Lease won the Sustainability category and the Public or Commercial category; Australand’s forward-thinking multi-residential project The Green won the Judge’s Innovation Award, and Breathe Architecture’s The Commons won the Timber Cladding Award.
See our case studies:
- Docklands Library to be Australia’s most sustainable civic landmark
- Australand breaks through the affordable multi-res barrier with timber
- The Commons will be a community not “your own little box”
The Advanced Engineering Building at University of Queensland won two categories, including Engineered Timber and Recycled Timber.