A groundbreaking development in South Perth has received approval to become the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower.
The project, given the green light by Western Australia’s Joint Development Assessment Panel, is the brainchild of Melbourne developer James Dibble’s Grange Development.
The C6 building, designed by Elenberg Fraser, will rise to a height of 191.2m and span 50 storeys, the Australian Financial Review said.
This ambitious structure will overshadow Atlassian’s Sydney-based hybrid timber tower, which is still under construction and is expected to reach 180m by 2025.
The South Perth tower is set to be built at 6 Charles Street, close to Perth Zoo.
Although no timeline for the construction of the C6 apartments has been provided, the development is valued at an estimated $350 million upon completion.
In a pioneering step, this will also be one of Australia’s first carbon-negative residential buildings.
The construction will use 7400 cubic metres of mass timber, making up more than 40 per cent of the structure’s material alongside concrete, steel and other elements.
During the building phase, it is expected to sequester 10.5 million kilograms of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the carbon cost of 4885 economy-class flights from Perth to London.
Mr Dibble emphasised the project’s environmental impact, stating, “We can’t grow concrete”.
He further explained that the timber needed for the project could be regrown in less than an hour from just 600 sustainably forested trees.
“Our aspiration with C6 is to shift the focus towards a more climate-conscious approach to our built environment, rooted in science and engineering,” he told the AFR.
The C6 project will comprise 237 apartments and offer residents 3500sq m of edible, floral and native gardens, as well as 18sq m of communal space per unit.
Renewable energy sources will power the entire complex.
Residents will also benefit from access to a fleet of 80 self-driving Tesla cars to help lower their carbon footprints.
A spokesman for Grange Development told the AFR that pre-sales for the apartments are slated to launch in the latter half of next year’s second quarter or early in the third quarter.
Pricing details will be released at that time.
