Professor Keith Crews, ARC Advance Timber Hub Director and Chair of the 2025 World Conference on Timber Engineering, spoke exclusively to Wood Central about the importance of timber in the circular economy.
Category: Hub News
HDR Opportunity – ARC Advance Timber Hub
The ARC Advance Timber Hub are pleased to advise we have a HDR Opportunity available at The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus.
Hub Node: Performance of Building Components
Hub Project: Connection Systems for Extended Building Life
Program: PhD
Location: The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus
Research area: This project aims to create a clear and common understanding in the Australian engineering community around connection design through experimental performance evaluation and development of design guidance.
Please see link to opportunity:
Investigating timber connection performance for extended building life
Your Chance to Rub Shoulders with the World’s Best Timber Engineers
Six Australian engineers will receive a full pass to the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE), hosted in Brisbane June 22-26, 2025, thanks to the Gottstein Trust—Australia’s national education trust for wood products—which has secured the passes for timber engineers. For more information see Wood Central article below, or click here.
Brisbane Olympics Can Lead World with Timber Use — But It Needs Smarter Design
Professor Keith Crews, ARC Advance Timber Hub Director and Chair of the 2025 World Conference on Timber Engineering is featured in this Wood Central article on how Queensland has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a Games that offers a lasting legacy not just for Brisbane but all parts of Australia with the use of better timber and smarter design.
WoodSolutions Australian Timber Design Competition finalists will receive a bursary to attend the World Conference on Timber Engineering
WoodSolutions has launched the Australian Timber Design Competition 2025. This national competition challenges the next generation of architects, engineers, and timber specialists to design a hypothetical, sustainable Athletes Village for the Brisbane 2032 Games.
Who can enter:
- Open to 3rd-year and 4th-year university students in:
- Engineering
- Wood science
- Other timber-focused programs
- Open to Master’s students in:
- Architecture
- Related disciplines
- Open to Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students in a related field
- Recent graduates may be considered on a case-by-case basis
Finalists
All the applicants will be judged according to the judging rubric. Up to three finalist teams of four applicants will receive a $1,500 cash bursary to cover travel and accommodation as well as sponsorship for attendance at the World Conference on Timber Engineering 2025 in Brisbane (Including welcome, conference, Gala dinner).
Submission Deadline: 12pm noon (AEST), Friday 2 May 2025
For more information please see: Australian timber design competition 2025 now open for entries
Calling Australian Engineers – unique opportunity to attend the World Conference on Timber Engineering
A unique opportunity has been unveiled with The Gottstein Trust offering six fully paid conference places at the upcoming World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE), being held in Brisbane from the 22nd to 26th June 2025.
These conference scholarships are made available for Australian engineers in the early stage of their professional career.
Further details and the application form are found on the website. Applications will close at midnight on March 30th and can be lodged anytime before then, through the online form.
The Gottstein Trust is delighted to support the significant global conference as it comes to Australia, and expects that competition for the six WCTE Gottstein scholarships will be strong.
New & Improved Timber-Cardboard Panels Are a Lifesaver for Disaster Zones
Great to see more media coverage of the research that Mahmoud Abu-Saleem and ARC Advance Timber Hub Chief Investigator, Associate Professor Joe Gattas are leading. The publication the media coverage is referring to is titled “Timber-Cardboard Web-Core Sandwich Panels for Lightweight Housing Applications” (TCWS) and has been published in the Q1-ranked “Structures” journal. This open-access article can be accessed at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352012425001298?via%3Dihub
Global Collaboration on Timber Innovation: Enhancing Urban Resilience Through Wood
In May 2023, the University of Queensland hosted a local workshop focused on the theme “Urban Transition with Wood for Enhanced Resilience of Cities and Forests.” The event explored how timber can play a crucial role in the transformation of urban environments to improve sustainability and resilience. Building on the discussions and insights from this workshop, Australian representatives travelled to Japan in November 2024 to participate in a series of global workshops organized by the Tohoku Forum for Creativity.
The Australian delegation included ARC Advance Timber Hub Investigators – Dr Lisa Ottenhaus and Kim Baber from the University of Queensland, Mick Stephens and Clarissa Brandt from Timber Queensland, Kevin Peachey from Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), and Travis Wacey from the CFMEU. The workshops were held across multiple locations in Japan and brought together an international group of researchers, students, and industry professionals.
Presentations and discussions were led by experts from prestigious institutions such as Tohoku University, Okayama University, Chalmers University of Technology, Technical University of Dresden, the University of Canterbury, and the University of Auckland. Kyoto University also contributed to the dialogue. A broad range of perspectives on timber-based urban development were shared, including those from timber processors, manufacturers, industry associations, architects, and engineers.
Participants also had the opportunity to visit various sites, including iconic timber structures designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma. Other notable visits included native and plantation forests, a biomass plant, and the Meiken Lamwood CLT (cross-laminated timber) factory. A particularly poignant visit was to the de Sendai 3/11 Memorial Community Center and the ruins of buildings destroyed by the 2011 tsunami, which underscored the importance of resilience in both urban design and disaster recovery.
The series of workshops concluded with a collaborative session that identified timber education and research as key areas for future synergy and growth. Following the workshops, the Australian delegation continued their study tour in Tokyo, where they met with industry stakeholders and toured several notable timber structures, including the Ariake Gymnastic Centre in Tokyo, designed by Nikken Sekkei.
The conversations and collaborations initiated during these workshops will continue to evolve, with a significant follow-up event scheduled for the World Conference on Timber Engineering in 2025. This global exchange highlights the growing importance of timber in creating resilient, sustainable urban futures and emphasizes the potential for continued international cooperation in this field.
For more information about the Tohoku Forum for Creativity’s Future Society Design Program, visit their website.
Japan National Stadium in Tokyo built for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Design by Kengo Kuma. The cladding features timber from each of Japan’s 47 prefectures
Group photo at Okayama University Visionary Commons Building design by Kengo Kuma
GREENable HIRUZEN pavilion, which was design for the Tokyo Olympics and deconstructed and relocated to Hiruzen-Kogen Highlands in Maniwa (Okayama prefecture). Designed by Kengo Kuma
ARC Advance Timber Hub Investigators Pioneer Disaster-Proof Timber-Cardboard Housing, Tackling Climate Crisis, and Reducing Bio Waste in NSW
Researchers find a new way to create higher-value timber products from Northern NSW’s State Forests.
Led by Mahmoud Abu-Saleem, Andrew Rose from Southern Cross University and ARC Advance Timber Hub Investigators – Associate Professor Joe Gattas, Kim Baber, from the University of Queensland and Dr Fabiano Ximenes from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the systems are designed to maximise value creation and carbon sequestration across the entire building lifecycle.
Please see the compiled media reports on the bio-based housing showcased recently in Lismore below. To view Poster Presentation click here.
Online Articles
Wood Central – https://woodcentral.com.au/disaster-proof-timber-cardboard-housing-could-save-lives-in-nsw/
Inside Waste https://www.insidewaste.com.au/cardboard-house-a-post-disaster-housing-solution/
Australian Design Reviewhttps://www.australiandesignreview.com/architecture/projects-architecture/pioneering-housing-solution-tackles-post-disaster-shelter-needs/
Building Connection https://buildingconnection.com.au/2024/12/03/sustainable-cardboard-homes-could-become-resource-efficient-temporary-solution/
TV
NBN TV News – watch: https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2024/12/03/sustainable-housing-project-gives-new-life-to-waste-products/
- North Coast
- Central Coast
- Gold Coast
Radio
ABC North Coast – Breakfast program – interview with Andrew Rose 4th December. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/northcoast-breakfast/breakfast/104670798 (36:30 to 38:30 and 1:05:00)
ABC Newcastle – Breakfast program – interview with Joe Gattas UQ 4th December. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/newcastle-mornings/mornings/104670764 (12:40 to 20:30 minutes)
ABC Victoria – Victorian Statewide Mornings – interview with Joe Gattas UQ 11th December. https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/vic-statewide-mornings (to appear tomorrow)
News Articles
Lismore App preview story https://lismoreapp.com.au/NewsStory/sustainable-cardboard-homes-a-post-disaster-housing-solution/67495a2862fd73002e0afacb
Lismore App – https://lismoreapp.com.au/NewsStory/reinventing-house-structure-bio-based-design/6750454ec02f80002d6e1e10
Northern Star / Daily Telegraph – https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/lismore/southern-cross-university-part-of-pioneering-cardboard-homes-emergency-housing-project/news-story/028bebcdc4de5144dc8a8068ad29492b
Videos
Hub CI completes Gottstein International Fellowship on Moisture Management in Mass Timber Buildings
ARC Advance Timber Hub Chief Investigator, Dr. Maryam Shirmohammadi, has recently completed an international fellowship study tour across Europe and Singapore, funded by the Gottstein Trust, where she focused on “Mass Timber Buildings Moisture Monitoring and Management.” This research, part of her ongoing work, aims to create a global network of experts in timber engineering and moisture safety, advancing knowledge and best practices in the field. The fellowship allowed for a comparative study of various building types, design approaches, and climate conditions.
Dr. Shirmohammadi’s research focuses on identifying processes and strategies to reduce moisture exposure risks while promoting optimal conditions for timber products throughout their lifecycle—from manufacturing and transportation to storage, construction, and long-term use. During her travels, she engaged with a wide range of professionals, including research teams, laboratories, R&D groups, university scholars, industry experts, building assessors, and associations. These interactions focused on both established and emerging techniques for designing timber products that can withstand moisture-related challenges.
Looking forward, Dr. Shirmohammadi plans to visit experts in the United States and Canada. This next phase of her research will further enhance her expertise in building science and broaden her understanding of the timber product lifecycle, particularly in diverse environmental conditions.
Dr. Shirmohammadi is project leader for the ARC Advance Timber Hub Project: Development of moisture monitoring, assessment and management systems for the Australian mass timber construction industry
The Gottstein Fellowship is a grant that is awarded to people who work within, or associated with, the Australian wood products and forest industries. This may be anywhere at all on the value chain. A fellow is funded to conduct a research project which they have put forward. Most projects entail international travel or domestic travel.





