Mass Timber Construction Podcast
Mass Timber Construction Podcast
Mass Timber Market Updates - Dec 2024 - Week Fifty
Discover the cutting-edge world of sustainable construction as we reveal Google's groundbreaking mass timber office. Learn how this innovative workspace is setting new standards with its sustainable timber architecture, abundant natural daylight, and biophilic design. Venture with us to Singapore to celebrate Nanyang Technological University's NTU Gaia, a project that not only won the UNESCO prize for architecture but also significantly cut down the carbon footprint. We'll share the compelling narrative behind the project's challenges and successes, showcasing its role as a pioneer in mass-engineered timber.
Our journey doesn't stop there. Uncover the exciting collaboration between Sodra and Hydri, which is bringing renewable construction technology to hydrogen stations across Europe. Then, be amazed by Swagen's revolutionary all-wooden air handling exchange unit, a giant leap towards greener building solutions. Finally, we'll take you to Melbourne's Northcote Swimming and Aquatic Centre and the impressive glulam structures at the Paris Olympic Stadium, highlighting architectural brilliance and sustainability. Join us for these captivating stories that are shaping the future of construction, pushing boundaries, and redefining what's possible in the industry.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are live. This is the moment you all have been waiting for. It's time for the global sensation, the one, the only, the undisputed heavyweight podcast in the world the Mass Timber Construction Podcast. And now here's Paul Kramer, your host. Good morning, good afternoon or good evening, wherever you are in the world today, welcome to the Mass Tech Construction Podcast. My name's Paul Kramer, your host. Welcome to another weekly episode.
Speaker 1:Nearly the end of the year now Hit December. It's getting cool in the north, it's getting warm in the south and we are really looking forward to a great summer, and I hope you have a great break coming up, plan to take some time off, recharge the batteries, launch into 2025, and we will see you again for our fifth year in a row. Let's have a look at what's making news around the world this week in mass timber construction land, and the big news is out of google. Google's mass timber office is breaking internet records when it comes to viewing things like the video that they have posted, as well as all the content, images and the exposés that they have been running across the media platforms to talk about the way that they're redefining workspaces using sustainable timber, natural daylight and all of the biophilic treatments within their particular office environment to provide the best performance and function for their staff, and it is an incredible series of content. So if you have not checked it out, go and do so. We've even got a google video of the mass timber office on our linkedin feed so you can head there and have a look at it anytime you like.
Speaker 1:And to singapore now. And the unesco prize for architecture and design for the world's most beautiful campuses category is the Nanyang Technological University, ntu, gaia in Singapore. According to the Straits Times report, the prestigious accolade was presented at the World Architecture and Design Awards 2024, a series of competitions celebrating the contemporary architectural projects worldwide. Gaia is groundbreaking in many particular respects because of its continued support for mass-engineered timber is what it's called in Singapore continually over many, many years now, and the project has received some interesting media recently around some of the mould or mildew that was building up on the exterior of the building. However, that was resolved fairly quickly. It is important to note that the building produces 2,500 fewer tons of carbon dioxide, typically when compared to more traditional materials, and around 7,000 round trips of flights between Singapore and Hong Kong is the equivalent of that. It is an impressive project. Congratulations to the entire team and it was an honor to know the people who worked on that project and great, great work by a whole team.
Speaker 1:And Sodra is in the news for very interesting reasons Hydri, which has chosen CLT from Sodra to construct several new hydrogen stations in Europe. The hydrogen stations are part of a nationwide initiative that will help support refuel trucks, buses and cars with fossil free fuels around 30 locations, and the infrastructure provides a renewable fuel and a renewable construction technology. So it's a perfect blend. Well done to Hydri and well done to Sodra for the amazing little units. Well done to Hydre and well done to Sodra for the amazing little units.
Speaker 1:And Suigon has unveiled the industry's first all-wooden air handling exchange unit that could redefine sustainability in buildings. When the Gold Air Hound handling unit was launched in 1994, it was an all-new concept, setting a benchmark for energy efficiency and performance. It was an all-new concept setting a benchmark for energy efficiency and performance. Now, three decades later, swagen presents the first all-wooden air handling unit, replacing the old heavy intensive CO2 footprint of the existing exchange unit. By rethinking material choices and challenging industry norms, they're trying to drive the future of sustainable building solutions through concepts as an important step for testing the limits of what can be done in industry. So if you'd like to have a look at this air handling unit, go to our linkedin feed.
Speaker 1:And to australia, particularly melbourne this time, and the northcote Swimming and Aquatic Centre has some great photos of the finished product, looking at these superstructure glulam systems spanning over the pool system. Alongside the Northcote pool is the Paris Olympic Stadium, which also featured some very large glulam structures across its superstructure holding up the roof system for its aquatic center. And the realization that timber can be used in such a way is transforming the way that we're looking at materials that are used for purposeful construction, such as in the case of swimming pools. And there's an article from architecture and design if you'd like to go and read that, by Natalie Craig. So if you'd like to go and see that on architecture and design, or you can go to our LinkedIn feed and read the article.
Speaker 1:And to Canada now and New Brunswick, and the construction begins on the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre, where the site was prepared back in 2023, but now as part of the new laboratories for Canada's laboratory strategy. The Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre represents a significant investment in Atlantic Canada's science infrastructure program by building a modern facility, sustainable facility that brings together various departments and agencies under one roof, federal scientists are being provided with the tools they need for strong collaboration for the future of Canada. It will be suggested that over 700 scientists with five federal organizations, including fisheries and oceans all the way through to climate and environmental change authorities, will be housed within this particular building. The building is estimated to budget about $600 million and the project will be completed in three phases and the construction is going to begin in the final phase in 2028. If you'd like to see some more around this Mass Timber Net Zero Lead Gold Certified Project, you can head to our LinkedIn feed or you can go to dsiaca dsiaca diamondschmidtca and have a look at the article.
Speaker 1:And there were 52 design awards in 2024 and the award for architecture was a taiwan rahan lee center for world citizens, which won the prestigious architecture project of the year award. Basically, the judges said it was a bold, repetitive shape that serves the landmark and delivers a powerful architectural statement, seamlessly integrating the city's geometry, making it an outstanding contribution to the community. The project includes a spiral dome extension using clt timber from stockholm, an office building with exposed timber frame in paris and a restored fortress using timber in turkey. If you'd like to check out this winning award or all of the other winners from 2024, head to the Dazeen Awards 2024 website or head to our LinkedIn feed.
Speaker 1:And that's it, folks. That's all we've got time for this week in Mass Timber Construction Land. Nearly at the end of the year, we hope that you have a great break coming up and make sure that you are planning to get away or rest and recuperate, and thank you for listening. This is Paul Kramer signing off on the Mass Timber Construction Podcast. Don't forget to hit subscribe, like, share, comment and participate in our academic journal. If you are a researcher, you want to submit a manuscript. Good morning, good afternoon or good evening. See you next time. Thank you, bye.