Grab a spot in this groundbreaking Melbourne timber building

A pioneering timber building in Melbourne is seeking its first tenants, with the Docklands property open for pre-commitments ahead of its construction.

The “WOODWORK” building on Waterfront Way is the first Cross Laminated Timber building to be approved to be built in the city, and will feature a ground floor lobby, retail space and four upper levels of office space that can be interlinked to create an area as large as 8000sqm.

But first its developers want a tenant to commit to occupying 50% of the floor area, with the remainder to be separated, or taken up by another tenant.

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“This is a unique building, which has 5.5-star NABERS and Green Star ratings due to the use of CLT, which has the structural strength of traditional concrete and steel but dramatically reduces the building’s environmental impact,” says CBRE’s Anthony Park, who is running the leasing campaign with colleague Scott McGlone and with Colliers International’s Michael Darvell and Matt Cosgrave.

The building will be comprised of 80% CLT, which is a prefabricated mass timber building method that it touted as having a much lower carbon footprint than other building materials. Its natural insulation moderates the internal climate within the building, while all timber used is sourced from sustainable forests.

Along with the environmental focus and benefits, the building will also have 24-hour access to end-of-trip facilities, as well as significant surrounding retail amenity.

“The modern tenant is looking for a precinct as opposed to just an office building these days. ‘WOODWORK’ is one of the few offerings in the current Melbourne commercial market that has it all,” Cosgrave says.

“The commercial landscape is changing and we are seeing a new focus from tenants. Landlords who create ‘destinations’, offering a wide range of facilities and services in one place, will find their property highly sought after.”

Michael Moss, from owner and developer AsheMorgan, says the property is intended to offer something unique to its occupiers.

“Our vision for ‘WOODWORK’ is to create a commercial A-grade building designed with wellness in mind. We wanted to deliver open floor plans with exposed timber and high ceilings that promises comfort, quality and abundant natural light, with the possibility of natural ventilation and an energy efficient, low-temperature variable air volume system.”