Architecture

World's tallest hybrid timber tower set for Sydney

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The large carbon footprint of concrete and steel paired with a growing emphasis on sustainable design has architects increasingly turning to timber as a construction material
Atlassian
The large carbon footprint of concrete and steel paired with a growing emphasis on sustainable design has architects increasingly turning to timber as a construction material
Atlassian
Atlassian
The new Atlassian headquarters will be situated in a new tech precinct for Sydney
Atlassian
Designed in collaboration with New York firm SHoP and Australian design practice BVN, Atlassian’s new headquarters will stand 40 stories tall
Atlassian
Solar panels will be built into the glass and steel facade, and Atlassian says its new headquarters will use 50 percent less energy than a conventional building
Atlassian
Scattered throughout Atlassian's new headquarters will be a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces
Atlassian
View gallery - 6 images

The large carbon footprint of concrete and steel paired with a growing emphasis on sustainable design has architects increasingly turning to timber as a construction material, with a number of hybrid wooden towers taking shape around the world. They will all be overshadowed by a new office block set for Sydney, however, with software company Atlassian unveiling plans for its new headquarters that will become the tallest hybrid timber tower in the world.

The past few years have seen a string of eye-catching timber towers emerge from the sketchbooks of designers and enter the construction pipeline. These include Shigeru Ban’s 19-story Terrace House in Vancouver and Canada’s Earth Tower, both billed as the world’s tallest hybrid timber towers when announced over the past couple of years.

The new Atlassian headquarters will be situated in a new tech precinct for Sydney
Atlassian

Designed in collaboration with New York firm SHoP and Australian design practice BVN, Atlassian’s new headquarters will stand 40 stories tall, and boast a total height of 180 m (590 ft). It should be mentioned that the final story number and height of the proposed Earth Tower is yet to be determined, but it may also hit 40 floors.

“The space that we are building will be highly sustainable and highly flexible,” says Atlassian Co-Founder and Co-CEO Scott Farquhar. “It will be purpose-built for the future of work, for tomorrow’s world, not today’s.”

Making up the Atlassian HQ's 40 stories is a 480-bed hostel on the lower floors, which already exists at the location but will receive a makeover as part of the project, while an existing heritage parcel shed will also be incorporated into the structure. The remainder of the space will used to house some 4,000 Atlassian employees.

Scattered throughout the building will be a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, including large terraces, arranged in a way that maximizes natural ventilation to keep energy needs low.

Scattered throughout Atlassian's new headquarters will be a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces
Atlassian

Solar panels will be built into the glass and steel facade, and Atlassian says its new headquarters will use 50 percent less energy than a conventional building, while the construction process will involve 50 percent less embodied carbon. It will apparently operate exclusively on renewable energy from the day that it opens.

The new Atlassian headquarters will be situated in a new tech precinct for Sydney, which the state government hopes will attract some 25,000 workers. Construction is planned to kick off next year and the tower is scheduled for completion in 2025.

View gallery - 6 images
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5 comments
Pablo
Termites across the city wait with feverish anticipation... Seriously, what's the point? One day we read about deforestation, the next day they're doing this. It'll likely be built with "sustainable, managed forest products", but a the end of it's service life, what will be recyclable of all that wood? Ok, you can shred it and maybe make paper or OSB, but all the steel in most such buildings has already been recycled many times and can be used again and again for as long as we populate the planet.
Edward Vix
Pablo, exactly my first thought, especially upon seeing photo 6 of 6 where there are plants and water features right next to the wooden structure!
martinwinlow
Pablo & Edward: Ah, but that won't stop 'the woke' from banging on about how wonderful it all is. Enough of this complete *nonsense*, already!
Global Genius
Deforestation and then reforestation is the wrong way. You first grow the trees, which for the size wood on those picture takes about twenty five years even for the super fast growing trees. Only, then you cut them down to build a building. And all that for what percentage saving on what material? steel? aluminum? All in all, it probably is more harmful to the environment using wood that way that using other material such as concrete reinforced with steel. But wait, what about using basalt rebar? MgO concrete? Hemp reinforced concrete? Building the whole thing so it can be easily recycled? Yep, there are many better ways to build.
Nelson Hyde Chick
So as humanity grows we will need more and more trees to builds our homes, but wait, we will also need more and more trees in the ground growing to stave-off climate change. Yet another example of why the world will go to crap as long as humanity is allowed to grow by billions more.