The green future of apartments

Is this the future of apartment building in Australia? An apartment block made almost completely of timber and chock-full of sustainable features has been released this week by multi-national property developer Lend Lease.

The 10-storey Forté building in Melbourne is being touted as the highest timber apartment block in the world, with its walls, floor and ceiling all made of a super strong yet lightweight material called cross-laminate timber (CLT).

The use of CLT, which is becoming popular throughout Europe, has also meant a reduction in concrete in the project, thus lowering its overall carbon footprint during construction.

The ongoing sustainability of the apartment block will be supported by features such as motion-sensitive LEDs throughout common areas and water tanks that will collect rainwater from the roof to supplement toilet flushing and supply the fire system.

For the residents, each apartment has a balcony with its own vegetable garden, and there are car-share and bike-share points available as well as a bike storage facility on the ground floor.