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Enter the newly opened Gippsland Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) foyer and it is impossible to ignore the towering ‘trees’ seemingly growing from rich burgundy carpet and holding up the ceiling of this imposing building.
Created from GoodWood Victorian ash timber by Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) in Heyfield, Victoria, not only are these 8.5m tall columns spectacularly striking, but they are environmentally sustainable. ASH is committed to supplying sustainable timber products - timber is sourced from regrowth forests and 100% of each log received is used. But most of all, what makes ASH timber so extraordinarily unique is its ability to capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it for life in an attractive building material.
The Gippsland ‘trees’ were produced on the MASSLAM line in Heyfield. MASSLAM is a range of glue-laminated timber systems including hardwood or softwood beams, columns, floors, and roof structures. Each tree took approximately 16 hours to CNC machine into the finished component, which then required sanding, polishing and custom fabricated steel connections attached before being joined together.
Australian Sustainable Hardwoods products are used in both residential and commercial builds in Australia and New Zealand. More than just a supplier, ASH often works with architects during the design & specification stage to create an impactful design. ASH delight in incorporating the perfect timber finish into a space and are thrilled when projects are recognised, such as “Autumn House” by Studio Bright which won four awards in the 2022 Houses Awards for House of the Year, House Alteration and Addition Over 200m2, Garden/Landscape and House in a Heritage Context. This project used ASH’s stunning GoodWood Victorian ash, a timber that ensures consistency of quality and colour across several applications. Taking advantage of ASH’s ability to produce a range of profiles in the one timber, Autumn House features windows and doors, lining and stairs all made from GoodWood and beautifully balanced to create a harmonious flow of design.
ASH has a versatile range of products to suit every purpose. GoodWood is often used to make a statement in designs, creating features out of such areas as the staircase, benchtops, linings, flooring and veneers. ASH treats this same timber with a H3 invisible preservative to create IronAsh, ideal for external use.
ASH has even improved upon America’s favourite hardwood, American Oak, with their range of American Oak by ASH, using innovative processing methods that are superior to those used elsewhere. And the Australian Oak is a completely customisable engineered flooring product, soon to be manufactured entirely right here in Australia.
ASH continues to innovate and add to its range to meet customer needs. They are in the process of adding new timbers like Tasmanian Oak, a timber with excellent staining qualities making colour matching to other finishes easy, and Plantation Shining Gum to their product range.
With so many stunning products to choose from, home owners may find themselves unable to choose between timbers – and the good news is they don’t have to! A combination of ASH timbers can be featured throughout the build to great effect. “Sunhill” by Orbis Construction pulled its inspiration from the outdoors and used texture and colour to create unity between this tranquil haven and its surroundings. Using a range of timbers, the grains and tones of American Oak by ASH, Australian Oak and IronAsh complement each other and create a natural aesthetic to produce a warm and inviting sanctuary.
Builders and renovators keen to incorporate stunning wood features in their homes or commercial properties should go to ash.com.au for inspiration, and can even order samples of ASH product.
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