2019 National Architecture Awards: National Commendation for Sustainable Architecture

Jury citation

Bates Smart’s 25 King in Brisbane sets a new benchmark as the tallest engineered timber building in Australia. Globally, there is presently no taller commercial timber building with a larger floor plate. Glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) form an all-timber structural system that significantly reduces the building’s embodied carbon compared with conventional construction methods using concrete and steel. The carefully detailed expressed timber structure is the hero of the interior, encouraging a light touch for subsequent fitouts. Working within the limitations of CLT, an efficient six-by-eight-metre structural grid with a side core delivers large, unencumbered floor plates for maximum workplace flexibility. 25 King is valuable, particularly as a potential catalyst for positive change in the construction of mid-scale commercial buildings.

25 King by Bates Smart is located in Bowen Hills, Queensland and is built on the land of the Yugara and Turrbal people.