The Savill Building – Envirnomental control, structure and light

The area of Australian forests independently certified as ‘legally and sustainably managed’ has grown rapidly over the past few years. In the next phase of this process, products carrying timber certification labels will increasingly be seen in the marketplace – with important benefits for specifiers.

Regulations dictating building design in bushfire-prone areas of Australia have expanded exponentially since the 1994 New South Wales disaster. And concern is mounting that timber construction is being made the scapegoat for inadequate land management.

Important architectural and environmental statements are being made all over the world using timber-based construction, and in South Africa they do it with special style and flair.

The Twin Creeks Golf & Country Club, designed by Hassell on the rural fringe of western Sydney, is the result of a unique opportunity to use a large quantity of exceptional recycled timber as the primary structural frame for a large public building.

Imagine a series of timber ‘landscapes’ rolling freely from inside to out and you have the core idea for this award-winning design for a law firm in a small rural town.

So says Brisbane architect Dr Rosie Kennedy who, with her partner Henk Mulder, designed a unique public environment centre at Oxley Creek, just south-west of the city. And they used wood in a variety of ways to emphasise the strong link the area has with Queensland’s timber pioneers.

Located in south-east Portland (Oregon), this four-storey project reflects the lively and unconventional local culture. It offers 27 loft/condominium residences with floor plans ranging from around 850 to 1200 sq ft and the ground floor has 4000 sq ft of retail space and parking facilities for residents.

He has been described as the Frank Lloyd Wright of furniture design, and there is no doubt that architecture is a major influence in the work of internationally renowned John Kelly.