Sustainable Architecture

Experts in Timber

Timber Initiative

KIRK brings over twenty years experience in the design and delivery of Mass Engineered Timber (MET) buildings.

Our studio is an industry leader in sustainable design, focused on the development and delivery of low carbon buildings through timber-based design. The timber construction methodology, adopted by our practice, has been proven to sequester carbon using renewable timber feed stock to significantly reduce construction time, reduce building waste, and support safer and quieter construction sites. This method embraces the use of prefabricated mass engineered timber systems, which can be optimised during the design process to minimise waste and coordinate at a high level of accuracy components of the mass timber structure to ensure precise assembly.

KIRK has a deep interest in researching and developing cutting-edge construction methods and material knowledge. The studio is committed to employing renewable resources and local industry on a large and meaningful scale upon selection of the construction materials.  Specifying locally-grown timber species, manufactured in Queensland demonstrated the benefits of this technology as a sustainable alternative to steel and aluminum.  Local Queensland timber is central to the sustainability initiatives employed by KIRK.

Leaders in Australian Timber Architecture

KIRK has delivered:

The first timber structure delivered in Australia for over 60 years for the AEB (Advanced Engineering Building) at UQ (University of Queensland) in 2012.
The first timber diagrid structure for the Mon Repos Turtle Centre in 2020.
Australia’s first all locally sourced and manufactured mass engineered timber office - the NIOA Timber Tower completed in 2021 was recently awarded the Named Award for Commercial Architecture the Queensland Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) State awards in 2022.
Queensland’s first mass engineered house using exclusively CLT as the primary structure in 2022.
The first timber university project in Queensland for the Stage 2 for the University of Sunshine Coasts Moreton Campus to be completed in 2023.

Mass Engineered Timber | MET

Mass Engineered Timber, also known as MET, refers to manufactured timber products that have been engineered with an improved structural integrity. Mass engineered timber construction systems are a sustainable solution to conventional structural materials such as steel and concrete.

Mass engineered timber (MET) is can be used in low to mid rise buildings.

Types of Mass Engineered Timber:

Cross-laminated timber | CLT
Glue Laminated Timber | GLT
Laminated Veneer Lumber | LVL

Varnished Timber Size by Size view. Dark Stain and Light.

Close-up view of Cross-Laminated Timber. The image shows a laminated view of the cross sections of the timber structural material of CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber), a Mass Engineered Timber Product.

Zero-Carbon Buildings

What is a zero-carbon building? To be considered zero-carbon, a building must achieve net-zero status for both Operational Carbon and Embodied Carbon.

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Mass Engineered Timber Structures | Timber Tower

The Timber Tower is an experimental project that is the first non-residential building in Australia to use locally grown and manufactured mass engineered timber. The 5-level structure was erected in less than a month and the building, including the integrated fitout for 90 staff was completed within 7 months. It is also the first tall building to utilise CLT as the primary vertical structure. This increases the column free useable floor area with the added benefit of providing a more solid façade thereby providing a very efficient building envelope. The resulting effect of exposed timber structure, smaller intimate column free floor plates, and generous windows produces a completely new typology for the commercial office.