{"id":27908,"date":"2025-08-20T14:13:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T04:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=27908"},"modified":"2025-08-20T14:13:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T04:13:51","slug":"aussie-developers-build-to-rent-model-headlines-timber-construct","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/aussie-developers-build-to-rent-model-headlines-timber-construct\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie Developer’s Build-to-Rent Model Headlines Timber Construct"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Australia’s most ambitious build-to-rent developer will headline Timber Construct, the country’s only dedicated timber-in-construction conference. Taking place on October 13 and 14, Rory Hunter, founder and CEO of MODEL, will deliver the opening keynote titled \u201cBuilding Beyond Convention \u2013 a Developer\u2019s Timber Awakening.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking to Wood Central<\/em>, conference organiser Andrew Dunn confirmed the final program is now locked in<\/em>: \u201cRory’s MODEL is Australia’s first purpose-first build-to-rent development group, now using mass timber-led solutions to \u2018flip the script on old ways of living and being.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Click here to register for Timber Construct<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

With more than 700 apartments already under development\u2014and plans to build up to 5,000 more units\u2014MODEL is backed by a $250 million regeneration decarbonisation fund supporting projects across Melbourne\u2019s inner north. Last month, Hunter announced the expansion of MODEL\u2019s leadership team, which now includes Ashley Reed, former CFO of CBus Property, and Jennifer Horrigan, chair of Dexus Asset Management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In November, MODEL revealed plans to build 180 units out of mass timber to convert the historic 1880s Schweppes Cordial factory into a nine-storey build-to-rent project in Melbourne’s inner north. (Image Credit: MODEL Render)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBuild-to-rent projects are a major growth industry for timber-based construction, with mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings the new sweet spot for hybrid timber systems,\u201d Dunn said, adding that the session will be chaired by Georgia Coutsodimitropoulous, Marketing and Brand Manager at Timberlink, operating Australia\u2019s first cross-laminated timber and glulam plant through NeXTimber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Last year, Wood Central revealed that MODEL, which announced plans to build two build-to-rent towers in Melbourne\u2019s inner north, the first, a 17-storey 200-apartment tower in Abbotsford. (Image Credit: MODEL Render)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Supporting Hunter\u2019s keynote address, Dunn said a panel discussion will also explore timber framing\u2019s role in addressing Australia\u2019s housing crisis. \u201cFrame and truss are affordable, dependable and reliable,\u201d Dunn said, noting that speakers will include Nick Hewson (CEO, Aboralis), Barry Brunton (Legacy Engineering), and Dr Louise Wallis (University of Tasmania). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Click here to download the program<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Timber Construct tackles stone wool’s role in timber buildings<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Among the technical sessions, Timber Construct will also spotlight new research into stone wool\u2019s performance in mass timber buildings. Dunn said Andy Russell (Proctor Australia\/DTech) and Jeremy Church (General Manager, NeXTimber) will present testing data and design strategies demonstrating stone wool\u2019s triple-performance advantage: fire resistance, thermal insulation, and acoustic control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpeakers will present testing data, installation techniques, and design strategies demonstrating how stone wool systems simultaneously provide superior fire protection, energy efficiency, and sound control in timber buildings,\u201d Dunn said, who said \u201ccase studies also highlight successful multi-performance applications in high-rise and complex timber projects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"IMG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n
In June, Wood Central revealed images showing intact timber-framed walls 151 minutes after exposure to fire. (Photo Credit: Timber Development Association)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In recent months<\/a>, Dunn said new CSIRO tests confirmed that timber-framed walls and panels covered with stone wool can \u201ceasily outperform plasterboard,\u201d providing an affordable material that can withstand fire for over two and a half hours\u2014far exceeding the threshold required under Australia\u2019s National Construction Code for fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat test represents a significant advancement in building materials technology, offering architects, engineers, and builders a promising alternative to traditional fire protection methods,\u201d Dunn said. \u201cThe findings suggest that stone wool could become a transformative solution for fire safety and efficiency in mass timber and lightweight timber construction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"IMG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n
In March, the Timber Development Association showed images of the stone wool attached to the underside of a cross-laminated timber panel during testing and the floor panel removed from the furnace after three hours of testing. (Photo Credit: Timber Development Association)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve observed numerous timber tests, but the stone wool performance was extraordinarily impressive. It easily outperformed traditional fire-grade plasterboard,\u201d Dunn added. \u201cStone wool provides superior fire protection while simultaneously delivering excellent acoustic and thermal insulation. This could potentially revolutionise construction costs for mass timber buildings,\u201d Dunn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Tickets for Timber Construct are now on sale, with organisers expecting a record turnout from both domestic and international attendees. To find out why developers and certifiers are increasingly turning to timber in construction, click here for more information.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Australia’s most ambitious build-to-rent developer will headline Timber Construct, the country’s only dedicated timber-in-construction conference. Taking place on October 13 and 14, Rory Hunter, founder and CEO of MODEL, will deliver the opening keynote titled \u201cBuilding Beyond Convention \u2013 a Developer\u2019s Timber Awakening.\u201d Speaking to Wood Central, conference organiser Andrew Dunn confirmed the final program […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"default","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[3,38,50,37,33,87,46,1,56],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[70],"class_list":{"0":"post-27908","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-architecture","8":"category-architecture-and-design","9":"category-australia","10":"category-building-and-construction","11":"category-editors-picks","12":"category-events-and-webinar","13":"category-industry","14":"category-uncategorized","15":"category-victoria"},"authors":[{"term_id":70,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jason","display_name":"Jason Ross","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg","url2x":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27908"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27912,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27908\/revisions\/27912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27908"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=27908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}