Timber, transit and technology – T3, an Australian first

T3 Collingwood, located at 36-52 Wellington Street, Collingwood in Melbourne, is the city’s tallest timber hybrid office building and the first application of Hines’ T3 concept in Australia.

The building has 15 levels, with eight of these levels featuring a cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure. In comparison to conventional concrete and steel construction methods, CLT offers construction time efficiencies, is lighter in building weight, and reduces whole-of-life carbon emissions.

Once operational, T3 Collingwood is targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating, a 5.5 Star NABERS energy performance rating, and net zero Climate Active certified operations. The project was delivered by a multidisciplinary AECOM team, providing Environmentally Sustainable Design services, as well as structural, civil, facades, mechanical, electrical, hydraulics, fire protection, acoustics, and audio-visual services.

Hybrid timber structure

T3 Collingwood has employed a hybrid structural solution, using cross-laminated timber (CLT) for upper floors supported by a steel-reinforced concrete basement and piling substructure. The hybrid timber structure was developed holistically in close coordination with the architects and acoustic, fire and mechanical engineering specialists. This collaborative approach ensured the building’s safety, functionality and structural integrity while also adhering to Hines’ stringent design criteria.

AECOM undertook an Embodied Carbon Assessment to help inform Hines on the environmental benefits of choosing sustainable building materials over conventional methods. The AECOM team developed the hybrid timber solution to maximise the use of timber while keeping the construction, performance, and future flexibility of the building front of mind.

The solution boasts a 34% reduction in estimated upfront carbon emissions (A1-A5, EN15978) versus the same building when designed with a conventional steel-reinforced concrete frame. T3 Collingwood also has an estimated 34% reduction in carbon emissions over its entire life cycle (A-D EN15978) compared to the Green Star reference building.

Timber, Transit and Technology

T3, which stands for Timber, Transit, and Technology, is Hines’ approach to developing commercial buildings to seamlessly integrate environmental and social sustainability into the workplace in a sophisticated and elegant way and provide significant carbon reductions in the built environment.

T3 Collingwood’s high ceilings and natural light created by the exposed timber foster a comfortable and inspiring place that supports innovation, connectivity, and wellbeing in the workplace. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and wellness-inspired amenities to create a productive and innovative working environment for office tenants.

Hines selects the location for their T3 buildings based on their accessibility to transit, including proximity to walking and cycling paths and public transport. T3 Collingwood’s central Melbourne location offers exceptional transport connectivity, integrating with Melbourne’s multi-modal transport network. The building is also equipped with end-of-trip facilities to encourage tenants to embrace walking and cycling as commuting options, promoting sustainability and wellbeing.

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) 2024 – Winners:

• Best Tall Building, by Height, Under 100 meters
• Best Tall Building, by Region, Oceania

2024 Victorian Architecture Awards – Commercial Architecture Winner

2024 Timber Design Awards – Commercial Building Winner