A new NZ$9m arts building in New Zealand built using laminated veneer lumber (LVL) has been designed to resist earthquakes.
The Marlborough Technical Institute’s three-storey building in Nelson features LVL beams and composite LVL and concrete floors with steel-tensioned timber walls in a structure specially designed to reduce damage in earthquakes.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provided NZ$1m towards the construction costs, with a national design competition organised to design the structure.
The building will be equipped with technology for contemporary arts and media practices including music editing and composition, video, graphic design, image manipulation, publication design and production, animation and internet design.
Irving Smith Jack Architects and multi-disciplinary engineer Aurecon won the design competition.
