Lendlease sells its tallest engineered timber office building in Australia
Listed property group Lendlease’s first engineered timber office building in Queensland, called 5 King, has been acquired by Impact Investment Group (IIG), in its second commercial building acquisition in the $2.9 billion Brisbane Showgrounds redevelopment.
Standing almost 45 metres, 5 King the nine-storey tower plus ground will be the tallest engineered timber building in Australia and the tallest and largest engineered timber office building by gross floor area in the world.
It will be the future home of engineering firm Aurecon, with the company committing to lease four of the nine office floors.
It has been designed by architect Bates Smart with engineering provided by Aurecon.
“5 King is the latest example of high-performance workplaces setting new benchmarks in environmentally sustainable building practices,” said Kylie Rampa, Lendlease’s chief executive officer, Property, Australia.
“The office building will offer tenants the opportunity to generate significant business benefits through large, efficient floorplates that provide flexibility for a variety of modern workplace formats. Its location on King Street provides excellent access to lifestyle amenity and transport options for employees,” she said.
5 King will be built using a building timber called cross laminated timber (CLT) and glulam (glue laminated timber) which has a structural strength akin to the traditionally used concrete and steel. The typical commercial floor plate will comprise 1,588 square metres of net leasable area (NLA), with a total area of 14,921 square metres (NLA) over 10 levels.
Buildings made from engineered timber have a lower carbon footprint than other building materials: the production process produces zero waste, and timbers are sourced from certified sustainably-managed forests.
According to Neil Barr, Aurecon’s Queensland regional director, the use of timber to lower carbon footprint is a medium that Aurecon has used to good effect.
"Our firm has long seen timber as a viable alternative to steel and concrete and 5 King will showcase the strength of CLT in a ten-storey building."
Lendlease is targeting a 6 Star Green Star Design for 5 King and As Built v1.1 and a NABERS Energy 5 Star rating.
5 King is due for completion in November 2018, with Lendlease both developing and building the asset.
It is Lendlease’s fifth engineered timber building in Australia and joins International House Sydney, Forte Apartments and Library at the Dock in Melbourne, and Jordan Springs Community Hub in Western Sydney.