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HomeArchitectureAtlassian to build the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower for its new headquarters
September 17, 2020

Atlassian to build the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower for its new headquarters

Hybrid structure is significantly lower in embodied carbon and offers a substantial reduction in the building’s carbon footprint

Image credit: SHoP Architects/BVN

Technology giant – Atlassian – has announced plans to build the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower for its new headquarters in the tech precinct at Central Station in Sydney, Australia. The new building will be home to thousands of technology workers when complete in 2025. After an extensive global search, Atlassian has chosen New York-based architects SHoP, and Australian practice BVN as the design team. Their groundbreaking design of timber, with a glass and steel facade will include a mix of outdoor and indoor spaces and will use an energy-efficient approach that features natural ventilation and large planted terraces giving access to nature. The building will be approximately 40 storeys high.

In line with Atlassian’s commitment to operate on 100 percent renewable energy and reach net zero emissions, the project will target 50 percent less embodied carbon in construction compared to a conventional building and 50 percent less energy consumption compared with a new conventionally operated building and solar panels in the vertical facades, to generate green power on-site. The building will operate on 100 percent renewable energy from day one and include solar panels built into the façade. It will completely regenerate Central Station as part of the NSW Government’s plan to build a new tech precinct attracting 25,000 workers.

“Technology can turbo-charge Australia’s recovery. That’s why we’re building this precinct. We want to create jobs, ideas and innovation. This will be home to thousands of workers and the best new ideas. If you want to work in tech – this is the place you will want to be,” said Scott Farquhar, Co-Founder and Co- CEO, Atlassian. “Sydney has the potential to be one of the world’s leading technology cities and the creation of a tech precinct sends a loud signal that we’re in the race to take a slice of the world’s most valuable market. That’s an exciting place to be.”

Atlassian is the first anchor tenant to sign up to the precinct plan. Construction of the Atlassian headquarters will generate 2,500 additional jobs and add almost one billion dollars a year to the Australian economy. Once complete, 4,000 Atlassian staff will use the building. The existing YHA at the site will be revitalized and incorporated into the lower levels of the new building. The existing heritage parcel shed will also be incorporated into the development. The 180m tall tower (590 ft) has been designed by SHoP and BVN, with engineering firm Eckersley O’Callaghanresponsible for the building’s structure and façade design.

“This building will breathe new life into this part of Sydney. It’s an amazing design. We’ve searched the world to find the best architects and engineers to put it together. We’re embarking on this project at a critical time. Projects like these will help the state and the nation bounce back from the massive impact of COVID-19. The space that we are building will be highly sustainable and highly flexible. it will be purpose-built for the future of work, for tomorrow’s world, not today’s. Even with a highly distributed workforce, we’ll need a place to come together. Now we can design this space especially for these new ways of working,” added Farquhar.

Image credit: SHoP Architects/BVN

The building is leading edge in its application of Mass Timber Construction (MTC). MTC is one of the most hopeful technologies in moving the construction industry toward real solutions to the global climate crisis. The novel hybrid timber structure is significantly lower in embodied carbon and offers a substantial reduction in the building’s carbon footprint. This is assisting Atlassian’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In addition, the timber provides a warm and inviting environment for Atlassians and visitors. Measuring at approx. 180 meters / 590 feet high – this will be the tallest commercial hybrid timber building in the world.

Expressing her support for this groundbreaking project, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “Atlassian is a great Australian success story and it’s very fitting for them to have their headquarters here in Sydney. Tech Central will rival Silicon Valley as the place to be. This means more jobs and opportunities for all of our citizens.”

With development applications set to be lodged in coming months and plans to begin construction next year, William Sharples, Founding Principal, SHoP, commented: “Our collective work around the world focuses on elevating the experience of the public realm in urban environments, so we really welcome this opportunity to work with such wonderful partners to create a high-performance landmark for Sydney’s new tech district, at ground level and in the skyline.”

SHoP/BVN found an elegant way to tie a structural element of the building to one of the building’s most aesthetic attributes – the façade. The tower includes a steel exoskeleton that supports the mega floors between neighborhoods. The current design also incorporates an electricity-generating facade system with self-shade capabilities to reduce direct heat gain internally. Combined with the use of mass timber, the innovative facade enables the project to leverage Sydney’s temperate climate to help reduce carbon emissions and generate on site energy.

“Atlassian has their eyes set firmly on the future, this project will achieve a number of ‘firsts’ globally and in Australia. It will make what was once best practice seem inadequate and hopefully lift the ambition of the built environment across Australia,” said Ninotschka Titchkosky, Co-CEO, BVN. “The building is designed in four storey ‘habitats’, each habitat has a park that is fully naturally ventilated, the innovative ventilation strategy for the building also permeates the floorplates.”

To achieve the reduction in embodied carbon, the building will be constructed with a combination of mass timber, concrete and steel. “For a lower height building you can build totally in timber, at 40 storeys we need to hybridize the structural system,” Titchkosky said. “We have worked with some of the world’s best structural engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan and TTW to develop the structural solution. This will be the tallest hybrid timber structure in the world.”

Image credit: SHoP Architects/BVN

The design aims to pursue Atlassian’s sustainability aspirations through innovative climate concepts, construction and building operations. As such, park spaces have been integral in the design of this workplace, creating a staggered outdoor garden in a Sydney high rise tower. Level 1 communal activities are located at the first of the elevated parks of the tower, providing protected outdoor spaces that will be comfortable all year round. Combined with the novel use of mass timber, the innovative facade enables the project to leverage Sydney’s temperate climate to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent over a ten-year period.

According to Atlassian’s Head of Global Workplace Experience, Scott Hazard, sustainability was a key focus for the tower, which would be built to last 100 years. “Cross-laminated timber is an incredibly green material, and it helps us avoid massive amounts of concrete and steel,” he said. “We are pushing the limits already beyond anything that we know with that material.”

“We have developed an innovative new approach to designing tall towers using a hybrid structure where the volumetric mass is timber. This approach significantly reduces the embodied carbon of the tower by up to 50 percent when compared to traditional tall building construction, setting a new sustainability standard for tower construction in the future,” added James O’Callaghan, Eckersley O’Callaghan Founding Director.

The lower floors of the tower will entail approximately 480 beds of Railway Square YHA accommodation, which offers more than just a place to stay, but a like-minded community of people within the building and the precinct. The Jury noted that the SHoP/BVN concept design demonstrated the strongest approach to the YHA through an integration with Atlassian, while still maintaining its own identity. The Parcels Shed (the current YHA building) once coordinated the delivery and dispatch of parcels from Central Station from 1912 to the early 1980s. The current design intent is to reflect upon our past and create a new future by having the Parcels Shed integrate into the development and act as an inviting public space.

“Shop and BVN are a 50/50 design collaboration based on shared values and attitudes to architecture. We are both strong advocates for sustainable design, smarter construction and human centered environments. Our shared experiences make for a rich collaboration. This project is not just about being green, it’s a whole systems approach to design, construction and habitation. It will demonstrate that change is possible and has many advantages for the planet, our cities and business. We can’t keep doing things the way we have been for the past 50 years and expect different outcomes. We need the development and construction community to see the potential in new ways of doing things and get on board if we are to make the impact we need,” concluded Titchkosky.

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