Timber-based prefabricated apartments being built in Adelaide could give momentum to the South Australian Government’s push for more inner city development, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) says. Source: ABC News
South Australia’s first wooden apartments are being built on King William Street in Kent Town by the Verde venture.
About 620 tonnes of prefabricated cross-laminated timber panels have been imported from Austria and trucked from Port Adelaide to the inner city site.
The building technique has been used in Europe for 30 years, but the project is just the second in Australia.
Lead builder Andrew Morgan said it could be the start of a new wave of apartment developments.
“I think it will set a precedent in apartment low-rise building,” he said. “There are buildings in Europe, now planned for up to 20-plus levels.
“I don’t think we’ll see that in Adelaide, but certainly Sydney and Melbourne on the eastern seaboard I think within four or five years.”
HIA’s Kent Hopkins said the prefabricated building technique could help push forward the State Government’s plans for a boost in inner city residential development.
“The cost reductions for building, the time reductions in building, the carbon credits it will achieve, it’s certainly going to take off,” he said.
More than 250,000 screws will be used by an army of carpenters and other tradesman as they work to an April completion date.
The venture has sold 85% of the residential departments on offer in the multi-use project.
As well as being a new beacon for the residential market, Mr Morgan said it could have other, unexpected benefits.
He pointed to early evidence overseas of wooden structures having calming effects on children in childcare centres.
“Because it’s timber, timber is a living product and I think when you see people interact with it, they tend to go straight up and touch it, smell it, feel it, knock it,” he said.
“I’ve yet to see anyone in my 30 years in building go up and hug a concrete column.”
At least one plant in Albury is planned to start making the softwood product in Australia. However, the HIA does not believe it is feasible to build a plant locally, although the wood could be provided to new factories from South Australian plantations.
