For the latest updates from the ARC Advance Timber Hub, we invite you to read the ADVANCE TIMBER HUB NEWS.
This issue highlights national and international recognition of Hub‑led research, progress across multiple project nodes, and the achievements of our researchers and higher degree by research candidates. Together, these updates reflect sustained momentum across the Hub, including growing contributions to policy, practice and capability building, and strong engagement with industry, government and the broader community.
ARC Advance Timber Hub partner Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) has released a major new decarbonisation study that highlights the critical role the forest and wood products industry can play in delivering a lower‑carbon future for Australia.
The report, Building a Low-Carbon Future for Australia, developed by Wood Beca, provides a clear, evidence‑based assessment of how targeted operational improvements and greater use of timber in the built environment can significantly reduce emissions across the sector.
The study outlines three possible pathways for the industry. Under a baseline scenario, emissions continue to decline gradually under current practices. A “Beyond Net Zero” pathway demonstrates how targeted operational changes—such as increased use of biomass energy—can accelerate emissions reductions. The most ambitious pathway “Building a Low Carbon Future” combines these operational improvements with increased use of timber in construction, maximising carbon storage and substitution benefits.
Under this scenario, the Australian forest and wood products industry could reach net zero emissions as early as 2029 and go beyond net zero soon after—removing more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.
The report highlights how industry, government and partners can work together to turn this opportunity into action, positioning the Australian wood industry as a leader in decarbonisation while supporting sustainable growth and innovation across the built environment.
ARC Advance Timber Hub partner, Loggo, has been featured in this Wood Central article explaining how their Australian-invented roundwood building system — carrying more than 70 patents across jurisdictions covering more than half the world’s population — is showcased at the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland.
Gianluigi Traetta, Technical Sales Engineer for Rubner Holzbau Srl and a Partner Investigator of the ARC Advance Timber Hub has been quoted in this Wood Central article showcasing how developers are now stacking cross laminated timber panels on top of 1950s concrete buildings, and saving thousands of tonnes of embodied carbon in the process.
New AFWI‑funded research led by The University of Queensland will develop bio‑based construction systems to deliver low‑cost, prefabricated housing and strengthen Australia’s forestry and manufacturing supply chains.
As Australia faces mounting housing affordability and supply pressures, ARC Advance Timber Hub Chief Investigator, Associate Professor Joe Gattas from the University of Queensland’s School of Civil Engineering is leading a new four‑year national research project exploring how underutilised timber resources could help deliver more affordable, sustainable housing solutions.
This research project is funded by the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) Centre for Sustainable Futures (University of the Sunshine Coast). It aims to unlock new value from Australia’s wood fibre while supporting the delivery of low‑cost, prefabricated buildings. Titled Bio-based Construction Systems for Small-Footprint Dwellings and Multifunctional Outbuildings.
“By rethinking how we use Australia’s existing timber and wood by-products, this project aims to demonstrate that affordable housing solutions can be delivered using locally sourced, low‑embodied‑carbon materials,” Associate Professor Gattas said. “Our focus is on practical, adaptable construction systems that maximise value from underutilised resources, support regional supply chains, and respond to the rapidly growing demand for small-footprint and prefabricated buildings.”
Delivered through a collaboration of university, industry, and government partners, the initiative seeks to strengthen Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability, support regional economies, and contribute to a more sustainable and affordable future for the built environment.
For more information please see the AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures (University of the Sunshine Coast) Project Media Release:
Research partners: Bond University (Kim Baber), Southern Cross University Andrew Rose), and Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries (Rob McGavin and Thomas Davies)
University of Queensland (UQ) collaborators: UQ School of Civil Engineering (Liam Ottenhaus), UQ School of Architecture, Design and Planning (Mehrnoosh Mirzaei), and UQ School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Dhaval Vyas).
Industry and government partners: Hurford Group, Weathertex, AKD, NSW Government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Jowat Adhesives, Container of Dreams, ADG Engineers, Structural Panels Australia (SPA) and Ausco Modular.
Photo: (L-R) Prof. Andrew Rose (Southern Cross University), A/Prof Joe Gatass (UQ Civil Engineering), and PhD Candidate Mahmoud Abu-Saleem (UQ Civil Engineering) at Lismore prototype exhibition.
The ARC Advance Timber Hub is pleased to share a recent Wood Central article highlighting the work of ARC Advance Timber Hub partner, Loggo.
The article “Loggo’s System Heads to the USA — Built for What CLT Can’t Reach!” showcases that Loggo’s low-cost engineered wood system built from peeler cores and forest thinnings will make its international debut at the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, Oregon, this month.
To learn more about Loggo’s exciting work, we encourage you to read the full article on Wood Central, along with watching the video below filmed at the World Conference on Timber Engineering 2025.
WoodSolutions has released the Timber Framing Carbon Calculator, a free online tool that enables residential builders to demonstrate the carbon stored in the timber-framed homes they construct. Source: Timberbiz
As Australia’s leading source of independent information on designing and building with timber, WoodSolutions provides trusted, non‑proprietary resources to industry. Developed by Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA), a partner of the ARC Advance Timber Hub, WoodSolutions supports architects, designers, engineers, builders, developers, and educators to increase confidence in timber use across the built environment.
The ARC Advance Timber Hub is proud of Dr Luis Yerman’s successful industry secondment, in late 2025, with Hub partner, AKD. Luis, a Senior Research Fellow at The University of Queensland School of Civil Engineering, representing the ARC Advance Timber Hub and the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, undertook the six-month industry secondment to bridge academic research and real-world timber applications. This industry engagement is an important key performance indicator (KPI) of the Hub.
With a background in chemistry and extensive experience in timber durability, fungal decay, moisture behaviour, and fire performance, the secondment allowed Luis to apply research expertise in an operational setting while gaining deeper insight into industry challenges. The secondment was designed to explore the broader issue of mould in timber products, from its underlying causes through to management and prevention across the product lifecycle.
Luis stated, “I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to AKD for the opportunity to complete an industry secondment at the Caboolture sawmill. These six months have been truly rewarding. I learned a great deal about timber operations and had the pleasure of meeting many talented and dedicated people across the business.”
Over the course of the placement, Luis developed and delivered a structured body of work covering three interconnected areas. These included a review of commonly used mould remediation approaches, an investigation of material characteristics that influence moisture and biological behaviour, and an assessment of environmental conditions relevant to timber storage and handling. Together, these activities provided a holistic framework for understanding mould risk from multiple angles.
A key objective of the secondment was knowledge exchange. By working at the interface between research and industry practice, the project supported clearer alignment between scientific understanding and practical decision-making. It demonstrated the benefits of embedding researchers within operational settings, enabling two-way learning, more relevant research questions, and stronger pathways for future collaboration. It also created opportunities to translate academic methods into applied contexts and to identify areas where further collaborative research could add value.
Luis thanked the national team at AKD (Mateo Gutierrez, Kim Harris, Andrew McLaughlin and Marina Milić) for the opportunity, their guidance and collaboration throughout his time there, “I’m also very grateful for the warm support from the Caboolture team, especially Diana Jaramillo. It’s been a fantastic experience, and I look forward to continuing to strengthen our collaboration in the future.”
Luis also thanked Chris Lafferty and Ian Blanden from Hub Partner, FWPA; Professor Tripti Singh from the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, and Hub Director, Professor Keith Crews, for their support and engagement throughout his journey.
Luis’s secondment shows how industry–research partnerships address real-world challenges and lays the groundwork for ongoing collaboration between academia and the timber sector.
The Forestry Australia Queensland Branch organised a field day in Moreton Bay on the 12th February 2026, where they showcased the timber construction of the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) Moreton Bay campus; performance research by the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life; and durability treatment at the ITreat Timber in Narangba. The day delivered high-quality technical engagement across design, research and industry practice.
To view the full report, including photos, from Forestry Australia Queensland Branch click here.
University of the Sunshine Coast – Moreton Bay Campus – Key Takeaways from visit:
Project Team Three new buildings constructed by BADGE Construction and designed by KIRK Studio in collaboration with Cottee Parker.
Project Consultant and Construction Team:
WILD Studio, Landscape Consultant
Aurecon, Civil, Traffic, Electrical, Dry Fire, Environmental & Sustainability, Acoustic, Facade, Audio Visual Engineer WSP, Mechanical, Hydraulic, Fire, Vertical Transport Engineer Certis, Building Certification, Section J & Access Omnii, Fire Engineer Cottee Parker, Construction Documentation & Delivery Architect
Design Approach
The Mass Engineered Timber for all three buildings were supplied by combining HESS Timber’s PEFC-certified glulam (imported) and Xlam’s PEFC-certified cross-laminated timber (Australian).
The precision and early procurement required for these materials demanded highly detailed structural and building services coordination from the outset, ensuring accuracy, integration, and constructability.
Australian araucaria™ was used extensively throughout offices, corridors, teaching spaces, student hubs, and internal sports court cladding.
Its architectural and acoustic qualities contributed to a contemporary, warm, and highly functional interior environment.
All araucaria™ components were manufactured and prefinished by Austral Plywoods, supporting efficiency and quality.
Environmental and Construction Benefits
According to Richard Kirk, Principal of KIRK Studio, the combined use of prefabrication and mass timber:
“has proven to sequester carbon using renewable timber feedstock to significantly reduce construction time, reduce waste, and support safer and quieter construction sites.”
Josh Patrick, Project Manager at BADGE Constructions, observed:
“The architectural qualities of australian araucaria™ made it a great choice for the project. The light colour gave the open plan spaces a light feeling. It looks good and is locally sourced which was a huge plus for our team.”
Delivery and Construction Methodology
A tight project timeline required the design and construction teams to adopt off‑site factory fabrication and modular assembly methods.
The modular timber approach enabled rapid installation, reduced onsite time, and maintained a high-quality, sustainable finish.
This issue highlights national and international recognition of Hub‑led research, progress across multiple project nodes, and the achievements of our researchers and higher degree by research candidates. Together, these updates reflect sustained momentum across the Hub, including growing contributions to policy, practice and capability building, and strong engagement with industry, government and the broader community.
“By rethinking how we use Australia’s existing timber and wood by-products, this project aims to demonstrate that affordable housing solutions can be delivered using locally sourced, low‑embodied‑carbon materials,” Associate Professor Gattas said. “Our focus is on practical, adaptable construction systems that maximise value from underutilised resources, support regional supply chains, and respond to the rapidly growing demand for small-footprint and prefabricated buildings.”
Photo: (L-R) Prof. Andrew Rose (Southern Cross University), A/Prof Joe Gatass (UQ Civil Engineering), and PhD Candidate Mahmoud Abu-Saleem (UQ Civil Engineering) at Lismore prototype exhibition.
