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Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay shortlisted for coveted award showcases benefits of XLam’s CLT.
Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay, an innovative farm stay development in Tasmania, has been shortlisted for a prestigious award at the World Architecture Festival 2023. The event, set to be held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 29 November to 1 December, highlights the best of international architectural achievements across various categories. (main pic: Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay. Credit: Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay.)
Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay has earned its place among the top contenders in the Buildings: Hotel and Leisure category, confirming its position as a ground-breaking project.
Misho Vasiljevich, the lead architect from Misho + Associates for the development, said: “Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay has breathed new life into an existing farm, ready to take the next step in agricultural development and provide a high-quality example of mixed uses coexisting on the same parcel of land.”
The property was designed around five key targets:
The project aims to create a farm stay accommodation, connected to a farm store and restaurant, to foster agricultural synergies and repurpose existing farm buildings.
Crucial to the success of the project was the use of XLam CLT, and Nick Hewson (former Head of Design at XLam) said: “I’m so proud to see Iron Creek Bay Farm Stay in Tasmania make the shortlist for the World Architecture Festival 2023. It’s an incredible project, befitting its stunning location. It is a shining example of mass timber, showing the benefits of prefabrication and early engagement of suppliers.”
Apart from supplying the CLT, XLam were also engaged to provide structural engineering services for the project. This approach allowed the optimisation of the building form at an early stage to make the best use of each cross-laminated timber (CLT) panel.
Early supplier engagement played a critical in ensuring full usage of XLam’s CLT, as “The repetitious nature of the pavilions meant that any efficiencies uncovered were multiplied 15 times, and significant time was invested to consider efficient material use and ease of construction and develop a balanced solution,” said Hewson.
“The three backpackers’ dormitory buildings were also slightly amended from the concept design to better suit the master CLT panel dimensions. Door and window openings in CLT panels would normally be fully cut out in the factory but on this project, they were supplied 95% cut, with the last saw cuts done on site. This meant the offcuts could be used for furniture, even including the picture window seating in backpackers – making near total use of the CLT master panels”
Commenting further on the development and the importance of early supplier engagement, Hewson said, “The restaurant and cellar door building presented a different challenge, combining CLT and glulam elements. Through early workshops, the design team discovered that the initial concept of a coffered ceiling made from CLT panels would be time-consuming and expensive.”
In response, an innovative folded roof plate design was developed, leveraging the strength of CLT and the geometry of the roof itself. This solution significantly reduced the number of roof panels required and provided a cost-effective alternative. Moreover, the folded roof design eliminated the need for columns along the balcony edge, creating a stunning 4.5-meter overhang that frames breathtaking views of the orchards and the bay beyond.”
See: https://ironcreekbay.com.au/
See: https://www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com/entries/iron-creek-bay-farm-stay/
