Native timber gives this project a striking architectural identity
Written by
12 November 2024
•
4 min read
A collaboration between architecture firm Jasmax and Newcrest Construction, Wellington’s BNZ Place is one of sculptural simplicity.
Externally, the seismically resilient A‑grade office building is wrapped in a simple sheath of smooth glass; inside, natural materials and curved formations bring a warmth to the large double-height space. For Jasmax, the design was inspired by the concept of an egg yolk nestled within an outer shell – the interior architecture adopts the flowing forms and marries bespoke lighting, artisan timber and marble finishes.
Beyond aesthetics, it was important for the building to achieve a 5 Green Star As-Built rating. A key material chosen to achieve this was Timberline’s Southland Beech timber.
“Southland Beech is an excellent choice for projects that require a Green Star Rating. It is a 100 per cent FSC-certified indigenous timber that is readily available and is historically and culturally significant to New Zealand,” says Timberline’s Joe Lagan. “It brings a New Zealand ‘story’ to the inside of your project.”
Part of creating the right ‘story’ for this project was transforming the profile of the timber battens into a bespoke birds-beak – with Timberline chosen by the award-winning architecture firm for their ability to create custom batten profiles.
“We work closely with architects to help deliver key project concepts and offer extensive technical support. The timber profile can be customised to help showcase lighting features, to emphasise culturally significant designs and to promote wellbeing within the interior space. We can work with the architects and designers to help incorporate these elements into their interior spaces,” says Joe.
Read more: A sustainable, native timber for architectural designs
“Southland Beech is customisable which allows for bespoke profile finishes. It is easily machined and finished which enables us to profile the timber into many shapes and sizes. This imbues unique design elements to projects where a particular concept is kept in mind.”
The process for this started at the concept stage of the project.
“Timber profiles can often have dimensional design constraints,” says Joe. “We worked with Jasmax and Newcrest Construction to achieve the designed profile design and dimensions. We produced samples during this process for all stakeholders to review. The beak design of this profile was important as it allowed light to be cast down the profile in a way that created a feature of the timber and the lighting.”
Timberline also has a range of standard profiles readily available for use in residential and commercial projects.
Southland Maple Beech is New Zealand’s only FSC-certified, sustainable native timber. Its beauty is intertwined with the history of New Zealand’s landless natives and is a source of architectural inspiration for projects wishing to claim authenticity and create culturally sensitive, iconic residential and commercial buildings. The species is well-suited and widely used, in interior wall and ceiling lining applications. It is available in a variety of different profiles and sizes to suit everything from contemporary designs to rustic designs.
Southland Maple Beech Koru Wall Lining
Southland Maple Beech Koru Wall Lining is a contemporary, stylish wall lining profile for residential and commercial lining applications. The Koru profile has a distinctive negative detail and is intended for installation in a vertical application however it can also be used in horizontal applications.
Southland Maple Beech Rustic Wall Panelling
Southland Maple Beech Rustic Wall Panelling is the perfect solution for creating ambience in an interior environment. The rustic grade is a fantastic utilisation of the ‘whole of the tree’ ensuring it is one of the most economical and visually appealing walls and ceiling panelling solutions available on the market.
Explore more projects showcasing Timberline’s stunning products on ArchiPro.