Michael Lee is a technical expert in Tasmanian Timber. Mick, as he's known within the sector, has over 30 years experience in research, timber production, and systems. He works with builders, designers, and architects to create solutions that benefit the environment, the economy, and the community.

"The stadium build for instance, in Hobart, called for 40-metre roof beams. No one in Australia could make a 40-metre roof beam. Could we make two twenties? Of course. So it's just changing the ethos and getting the right engineering involved to change the design parameters to suit our products. There's nothing that can be done anywhere else in the world that we can't do here. We have the capability of producing it on island – so it's buy local, local supply. We have the product. There's nothing stopping us. There really isn't."

originalthinkers.com.au/michael-lee


Links & Show Notes:

• Tasmanian Timber Technical Helpline
• Fraser & Partners’ C6 – World’s Tallest Hybrid Timber Residential Tower (Dezeen)
• Cusp Building Solutions
• Terroir’s St Luke’s Timber Tower Project
• Timberlink Australia
• UTAS Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW)
• TouchWood
• Article: Woodsmith
• Woodsmith Engineered Flooring

Episode Sponsor:

• Tasmanian Timber

Gerard Reinmuth is a Director at Terroir Architects and the inaugural Professor of Practice in the School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney, and Philip Oldfield is Head of the Built Environment School in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture at the University of New South Wales.
They are both co-authors on a paper recently published in Sustainable Cities and Society, titled 'Towards net-zero embodied carbon: Investigating the potential for ambitious embodied carbon reductions in Australian office buildings'.

"From my perspective - I'm an educator and a researcher - the thing that keeps me awake at night, the research question I'm interested in, is how can we create buildings that are necessary for society? We know 3 billion people globally don't have access to adequate housing. United Nations say we need to build 96,000 new homes a day. How can we achieve that within planetary limits? How can we achieve that without screwing the environment? And it's a paradox. How can we effectively double building stock while getting down to net-zero?"

originalthinkers.com.au/gerard-reinmuth-philip-oldfield


Links & Show Notes:

• Towards net-zero embodied carbon: Investigating the potential for ambitious embodied carbon reductions in Australian office buildings
• Philip Oldfield (UNSW)
• Philip Oldfield (IG)
• Gerard Reinmuth (UTS)
• Gerard Reinmuth (IG)
• Terroir
• Article: Launceston's mass timber building a glimpse into the built environment future
• [Related] Original Thinkers: Scott Balmforth (Terroir)
• [Related] Potsdam Institute: Buildings can become a global CO2 sink if made out of wood instead of cement and steel
• [Related] Original Thinkers: David Rowlinson (Planet Ark)

Episode Sponsor:

• Tasmanian Timber

Paolo Aschieri is director at Theca Timber – a firm that is committed to transforming the way we build, by leveraging timber's natural strength and durability to build a low carbon sustainable future.

"Every single state, every single nation has a different appetite for timber. If you travel to the Scandinavian countries, their appetite for timber is just outstanding. It blows my mind when I go there, and I like it, I really like it. It's going beyond the technical capacities, or beyond the technical efficiency of timber versus steel. But if you've got the right reasons, why not? If it's worth it for sustainability, why not do it?"

originalthinkers.com.au/paolo-aschieri


Links & Show Notes:

• Theca Timber
• Rubner Group
• Sydney Fish Market by 3XN
• Nuoto Venezia | Piscine e Palestre del Centro a Mestre
• Upper House by ARIA
• Westhills Stadium
• Planet Ark - Wood: Nature Inspired Design
• The Eric Tweedale Stadium
• IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) Working Group III, Chapter 9: Forestry

Episode Sponsor:

• Tasmanian Timber