While the use of wood in construction certainly isn’t new, and timber products occupy a well-established place in the long-standing tradition of building, the innovative use of timber structures has been gaining significant momentum both in Australia and globally. The renewable construction material has been transforming both residential and commercial typologies and is now understandably considered to be the future of sustainable construction.
In response to this important shift, WoodSolutions has developed a Project Portal that makes it easy to search, develop, design, and build with timber. Aptly dubbed as the “world's reference for timber buildings”, the user-friendly platform boasts an ever-expanding – and ever-inspiring – directory of timber buildings around the world.
The efficient design of the site allows industry professionals to filter the content by project type, location, as well as other factors applicable to their individual search or project. That enables them to freely explore the benefits of timber construction systems and learn how to incorporate them into their own practice. The website also provides a list of companies involved in the development, design, construction, and supply of materials for each project, making it easy for users to directly consult some of the most relevant experts in the field.
Sarah Downey, Head of Marketing and Communications at WoodSolutions, explains that the portal was developed to fill a clear gap in the market. "Our experience in consulting on large-scale timber projects with the WoodSolutions Midrise Advisory team indicated the value of a resource that would provide reference to a broad range of international projects, and the teams behind them," she says. "The Project Portal presents exemplary timber-rich projects in an easily accessible and searchable form, allowing users to not only view projects similar to those they might be considering, but also to see the companies involved in their development, design, construction, and supply of materials."
Apart from showcasing existing international buildings and developments, the WoodSolutions Project Portal website encourages users to submit their own projects. The interactive feature not only allows them to showcase their own expertise in timber construction systems but is also an effective way to connect professionals across the world that promotes knowledge-sharing and innovation in the field.
This exciting new website complements a robust suite of free online resources already available through the WoodSolutions program, such as the species matching app, the fire test reports, a free expert advice service, or recordings of presentations and podcasts. By adding the new portal to this rich educational collection, WoodSolutions further expands the wealth of available information industry professionals can tap into in the early stages of the development process.
“One of the key benefits of using timber construction systems is their ability to lower the embodied carbon of any building project,” Sarah adds. “By considering the environment before starting any building project, the industry can reduce its carbon footprint, enhance the well-being of building occupants, and even lower the total cost and time to delivery.”
The new WoodSolutions Project Portal not only helps industry professionals prioritise the environmental impact of their projects early on – it also connects, inspires and empowers the global community to collectively create a more sustainable future using the world's oldest renewable building material.
