A proposed 15 storey office in Cremorne, Melbourne, would use exposed mass timber for its entire structural frame, reaching 57.9 metres. That is more than double the 25 metre height limit Australia's building code currently allows for unprotected timber. The developer is asking the Victorian planning minister to approve it through the Development Facilitation Program, arguing that sprinklers plus self-extinguishing char behaviour will keep the building safe in a fire. The project claims to be Australia's lowest embodied carbon office, with an estimated 89 per cent reduction compared with a typical office when stored carbon in the wood is counted. It would also include 400 to 600 kilowatts of solar capacity. If approved, the building could become a reference point for tall mass timber construction in Australia and force a closer look at the fire rules that currently cap timber height.
