Limestone Coast Technical CollegeTransforming regional education through timber design and innovation

Shaping regional futures through timber innovation

The Limestone Coast Technical College is a world-class mass timber structure and one of the first in South Australia to use 100% locally sourced engineered timber. This region, in South Australia’s Southeast, has traditionally been a centre for forestry and the production of engineered wood products. Seeing a unique opportunity to maximise locally sourced materials and support the growing engineered timber industry, Aurecon’s design enabled the project to be delivered using mass timber supplied locally, produced just 20 minutes from the college.

Aurecon collaborated with architects Russell and Yelland in the development of structural concepts and the delivery of a timber scheme. The team worked with Timberlink’s local plant to devise a primary frame system of Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) – solid engineered beams and columns – supporting a Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) floor, working to suit manufacturing capabilities within the local region.

Sourcing timber locally strengthens the region’s engineered wood manufacturing sector and regional supply chains, and fosters local pride, and is a tangible win for the local economy and sustainability in educational settings.

Designing for sustainability, circularity, and long-term resilience

The use of renewable, locally sourced timber drastically reduces embodied carbon while supporting a circular economy. It minimised transportation-related emissions compared to use of alternative materials such as steel, which would need to be sourced from outside of the region or overseas.

Additional key sustainability features include natural ventilation strategies to improve indoor air quality and reduce energy demand, whole-of-life design, and embedded ESD and sustainable design principles, balancing performance, cost, and sustainability goals.

Aurecon’s solutions enhanced climate adaptability, reduced waste, and considered the building’s operation from day one. Circularity was a key focus and whole-of-life design decisions balance performance with overall operational costs and sustainability objectives, enabling future flexibility and reuse and ensuring the building remains fit-for-purpose for decades to come.