A World First – 90% of the Construction Waste at the Southern Hemisphere’s Largest Mass Timber Academic Building Has Been Recycled or Upcycled

Wood Central.com recently featured a story about Boola Katatjin, one of Australia’s most awarded building projects in 2023. Designed by Carey Lyons from Aspect Studios and supported by Perth-based Trent Woods, Officer Woods – and local design firms Fulcrum Agency and Silver Thomas Hanley — the $135-million (AUD) new building gives the 50-year-old campus Murdoch University a new heart.

Not only was the Boola Katatjin  ‘crowned’ as the world’s best academic buildings, but at 180 meters the building was also the largest mass timber building in the Southern Hemisphere. According to Murdoch University, the building stands out for another environmental achievement, more than 90% of construction waste generated by the project has been recycled and, in many instances, upcycled.

Following the massive build, which used more than 2,100 tons of timber and 1800 individual pieces of mass timber, the university appointed local business Instant Management Bayswater, which sorted through vast volumes of materials that could be recycled and repurposed.

Wood Central understands that construction waste makes up the largest share of Western Australian landfills. Students at Murdoch University’s Environmental and Sustainable Systems Engineering program observe the process firsthand and on a massive scale.

According to Associate Professor Dr Martin Anda, the plant tour allowed students to witness how construction waste can be sorted and recovered to be reused for future building materials: “They have been learning the principles behind recycling and the circular economy so they can design their plant for upcycling construction and other wastes into low-carbon concrete,” Dr Anda said.