What is the Centre for Sustainable Structures and Materials?

The centre is our research & development arm, the purpose of which is to function simultaneously as a knowledge hub for advanced wood construction, prefabrication strategies, and sustainability in the building industry.

We stay on top of things by poring through current (and ancient) research publications, through consultation with industry and education providers, through our own research and development and good old trial-and-error. We definitely don’t do things because “that’s the way it’s always been done”.

Whereas research at a university can take upwards of ten years to reach market, the Centre’s goal is to work as an accelerator, feeding R&D directly to the tradespeople and training facilities who can make it happen tomorrow. It means that we take risks with technology and techniques, and we make it known to our clients that we will be pushing the envelope at times. If you are interested in being part of this progression, either as a client or a builder, then let us know what you can add to the Centre.

We advocate for, and join the movement towards creating an energy-efficient and ecologically-sensitive built environment in both urban and rural contexts.

We leverage a knowledge base bridging professional and scientific fields, as well as the crucial interpersonal community connections required for acceptance and well-being.

We invite builders from other nations, cultures and languages to provide a depth of experience for everyone involved.

We develop techniques to make building sites accessible and safe to work at for all ages and abilities, humanising the workplace.

We are committed to collaboration and creating added-value for our communities through a process called Placemaking, where all voices can be heard.

And as we learn, and teach, we build.