Parklea’s sustainable and innovative Timbertop Estate

Parklea’s Timbertop Estate in Melbourne’s Southeast will be home to an innovative commercial and retail hub that puts sustainability at the forefront.

Designed by i2C in collaboration with Timber Design Studio, it incorporates a range of sustainable design features, including the use of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT).

CLT and GLT are both engineered wood products that offer a range of environmental benefits. They are sustainably developed timbers manufactured from purpose-built forests, mainly in Europe but also developing in Australia.

Senior Associate Shaun Daly said that despite being slow to adopt timber in the past, the uptick in sustainability focuses and their benefits for both the business and the end users has welcomed greener building initiatives in the Australian construction industry.

Parklea aimed to bring the concept of CBD offices to the suburbs, and our team rethought the design of the building to better benefit everyone. For the external design, the team incorporated extensive use of glass to open up the space to neighbouring areas, creating a sense of connection. For the internal design, exposed CLT panelling was used to create warmth and softness. The combination of extensive glass and exposed CLT will help eliminate the harshness of the morning and afternoon sun.

The estate is a reflection of the evolved modern office environment with dedicated social zones, accessibility to outdoor spaces, and versatile floor plans. Not only does Parklea’s Timbertop Estate have a fully sustainable and biophilic design that will reduce the overall operational carbon required to run the office annually, but the health of the end-users will also improve.

According to Timber Design Studio Director Dayne Davis, sustainable timber is now cementing its stance in the construction world, and a high-performance building like Parklea’s demonstrates what is possible when sustainability is viewed as an opportunity to introduce solutions to age-old conventions.

We are delighted to have created a design that will set as an example of a sustainable and innovative building and showcase the possibilities of a greener future.

i2C team: Claire Bowles, Brian Jende

Client: Parklea

In Collaboration with: Timber Design Studio

Photographer: Rachael Dere