Boola Katitjin
The Boola Katitjin at Murdoch University, the largest mass engineered timber construction project in Western Australia, has won Project of the Year at the 2023 Engineers Australia Excellence Awards. Source: Timberbiz
The four-storey building built by Aurecon has been designed to sustainably improve student life at the university through new, innovative spatial concepts.
The large spans enabled by the use of glued laminated timber allow for flexible room design in order to be able to react flexibly to future changes. In addition to the use of the most natural building material in the world – wood, there are photovoltaic installations on the roof as well as a concept for natural ventilation.
A world-first robotics technology trial installed up to 100 timber screw fixings (out of over 200,000) on the building as part of a proof-of-concept experiment for automating this labour-intensive task.
The project, Western Australia’s first mass-engineered timber building, has garnered global recognition for promoting sustainable, renewable, and circular methods in construction, aiding in achieving net-zero carbon goals.
The project’s innovative use of mass-engineered timber has resulted in a spacious, column-free building, benefitting the community, and achieved through collaboration among academia, industry, and Indigenous groups.
Speaking at the awards event, Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew said the awards highlighted the significant contribution engineers make to the community.
“Our 2023 people and project finalists are an outstanding field and exemplify the positive impact of the profession on so many facets of society. They are the innovators, changemakers, leaders and mentors for the next generation of engineers. Their work and its impact elevate the profession and raise its profile in the community, and with industry, government, and educators,” Ms Madew said.
