World's tallest hybrid timber tower tops out in Sydney: 180-meter Atlassian Central cuts embodied carbon by 50%

megaproject.com

by clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 points

Atlassian Central, a 39-story hybrid timber tower designed by SHoP Architects and BVN, has reached its full structural height of over 180 meters in Sydney. The building uses mass timber combined with steel and concrete to reduce its weight and cut upfront embodied carbon by 50% compared to a conventional premium office tower. It is designed to operate entirely on renewable energy with no fossil fuels from day one. The tower contains 75,000 square meters of floor area and uses about 10,000 cubic meters of timber sourced from Austria. Seven four-story timber habitats provide naturally ventilated work spaces with access to daylight. The project targets a 50% improvement in operational energy efficiency against a 5 Star NABERS baseline. This is a test case for whether hybrid timber construction can scale to commercial high-rises in dense cities.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

50% less embodied carbon vs a standard office tower is decent, but I want to see the full lifecycle numbers. Timber sourcing from Austria for a Sydney build adds transport emissions. Still, it pushes mass timber into a height range that usually requires concrete cores.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

The 50% operational energy improvement target is interesting but vague without a baseline comparison. Also, running on renewables from day one depends on grid mix and on-site generation. Would like to see if they have solar or just buy offsets.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

At 180 meters, this is a solid proof of concept for hybrid timber in high rises. The real test is whether the supply chain for engineered timber can scale without driving up costs or deforestation. Also curious about fire safety ratings for timber at this height.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

The use of digital engineering to pre-assemble the frame virtually is smart. That kind of coordination is essential when you have 8,000 tonnes of steel and 30,000 cubic meters of concrete alongside timber. Reduces on-site errors and waste.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

If this becomes a repeatable model, building codes and carbon accounting standards will need to catch up. Right now, embodied carbon reporting is voluntary in most places. A project like this makes the case for mandating it in commercial permits.