A Queensland project constructed with Responsible Wood-certified timber has taken home the prestigious Built by Nature ‘Public Infrastructure’ prize, edging out nearly 400 other projects from 39 countries.
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services North Coast Regional Headquarters and Maryborough Fire and Rescue Station project was designed by Baber Studio and constructed with locally sourced, certified timber, processed and manufactured by Hyne and XLAM.
The project’s Principal Architect, Kim Baber, was previously awarded the Responsible Wood Richard Stanton Memorial Leadership Award for his work on the timber-rich project, which as he said, was ‘was an opportunity to highlight what’s possible when working with sustainably sourced materials’.
“As architects and designers, we have a lot of responsibility to ensure selection of the materials we use – and the impact of the buildings we create – are managed in a responsible way.”
“It’s not just about recognising good design practices. We need to understand where materials are coming from, that they’re being used properly and how that’s going to impact the future life of the building – and the footprint of the resource extraction from the current environment.”
A cyclone-rated emergency services building, the Maryborough Fire Station is estimated to contain approximately 500m3 of Australian grown timber from Responsible Wood-certified softwood plantations.
The result of many years of advocacy to the state government, the project was a collaborative effort between Kim’s firm, Kim Baber Architects, Hyne Timber, XLAM and Hutchinson Builders. “It was really rewarding to see that effort translate into a timber building that’s so valued by both its users and the local community.”
The two-storey regional emergency services hub combines three new timber buildings with the adaptive reuse of a 1950s Art Deco fire station. Spanning 2,695 m², the project addresses the dual need for resilient public safety infrastructure and low-carbon construction. Inside, the retained heritage bays provide a public museum and community venue, while new CLT and GLT structures host regional operations, training, and response facilities.
