Prefab timber housing project in Sydney's Campbelltown targets key workers
A three-tower residential development with key workers such as police, nurses, fire brigade personnel in mind is coming up in Sydney’s Campbelltown.
The 101-apartment project, The Gardens, is being touted as Australia’s largest multi-storey prefabricated timber construction project and also the “largest affordable housing project without any government funding”, according to a media release.
Building contractor Strongbuild is using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) instead of traditional concrete and steel for construction. The prefabricated building technologies is expected to reduce the construction time by around off four months and result in cost savings, the release said.
Strongbuild managing director Adam Strong said CLT has similar characteristics to concrete and steel yet 30 percent lighter. It also offers better thermal performance and requires less energy to heat and cool.
“CLT is engineered and processed in a factory to be precise, making it fast and efficient to construct,” said Adam.
Construction of the first tower is over and work on the second commenced this week.
The project includes three residential towers that are being developed by Tier 1 affordable housing provider BlueCHP Limited. The first tower will be sold to private investors or owner-occupiers, while the other two will be earmarked for Key Workers – police, nurses, fire brigade personnel - in Campbelltown.
Rents will be capped for Key Workers at 30 percent of their wage.
The regional city’s population is forecast to grow more than 36 percent from its current 158, 394 people in the next two decades.
Warren McGregor, CEO of the national association for off-site construction industry, prefabAUS, says saving four months would mean the client will be operational earlier.
“It’s a huge advantage having a building project delivered faster, particularly for affordable housing clients like BlueCHP and for projects such as hospitals and schools.”
Housing affordability will be one of the topics discussed at the upcoming national prefabAUS Conference, Delivering Next Generation Buildings, on October 10 to 12 at the University of Sydney.
Speakers will include Adam Strong, author Paolo Lavisci who has written a book on the design of timber structures, and Harvard alumnus Marc Norman.
