Monash Peninsula Student Accommodation – completed 2018

Published by adminhighrise at 25 October 2019

Highrise Carpentry were contracted to work on Multiplex’ first CLT building, Monash University’s highly sustainable student accommodation precinct at the Peninsula Campus.

With 150 single occupancy units set over six floors the accommodation provides students with a range of modern, high quality and eco-friendly residential spaces.

Using cross-laminated timber has the capacity to halve the embodied carbon in the building relative to a concrete structure and the project is set to receive *Passiv Haus certification. In conjunction with the root top solar panels, Passiv Haus dramatically reduces operating carbon emissions.

To date, Monash Peninsula is one of the most innovative buildings in Victoria and the largest Passive House Certified building in the southern hemisphere.

The XLAM panels (produced in Trentino, Italy), are prefabricated panels characterized by a variable thickness (from 57 to 297 mm). The panels can have from 3 to 9 layers for a maximum length of 13.5 meters and a width up to 3.5 meters. The layers are composed of wooden slats and are crossed and glued together using only glue without formaldehyde.

XLAM panels are innovative and high-performance building materials, characterized by high resistance, flexibility and sturdiness. They have the advantage of combining the load-bearing property of laminated wood with the two-dimensionality and solidity of plywood.

The structures thus constructed also exhibit characteristics of environmental sustainability expressed in terms of energy savings, seismic resistance and fire resistance.

The project comprised of: (over the 5 levels, 1st level concrete base) 1668 m3 XLAM panels, 74 m3 glulam (glued laminated timber), 1393 tonnes of stored CO2.

*Passive House is a holistic construction certification standard, allowing Certified Passive House professionals flexibility to determine the most suitable building geometry based on usage and location. Passive buildings are thus comprised of a set of design principles used to attain a quantifiable and rigorous level of energy efficiency within a specific quantifiable comfort level under a “fabric first” design philosophy. To that end, a Passive House building is designed and built in accordance with five building-science principles: airtightness, thermal insulation, mechanical ventilation heat recovery, Passive House (high performance) windows, and thermal bridge free construction.