ADP research in the ARC Advance Timber Hub

ADP research in the ARC Advance Timber Hub

The ARC Advance Timber Hub aims to stimulate rapid growth of timber innovation in the mid-rise building market, which could transform Australia’s timber processing and construction sectors, the experience of building occupants, and even the life of the buildings themselves. Innovative circular design solutions and large-scale advanced manufacture of engineered wood products (EWP) provide an opportunity for the Australian timber industry to shift production up the value chain, whilst simultaneously being a critical driver for the building construction sector in Australia to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to be on the path to net zero by 2050.

Kim Baber, Paola Leardini and Dan Luo will be presenting overviews of the projects they are leading in the ARC Advance Timber Hub, in the fields of Design for Extended Building Life; Manufacturing Innovation; and Value Chain Innovation

Please note this is an in-person only presentation. 

Speakers - Kim, Paola and Dan

Mr Kim Baber 

Kim Baber has been a Fellow in the School of ADP and the school Civil Engineering at UQ since 2016. Kim has received the Richard Stanton Award and the Gottstein Trust Fellowship to research timber architecture and sustainable timber technologies being developed in Europe and Japan. Kim is a member of the UQ ‘Centre for Future Timber Structures’ and the ARC ‘Advance Timber Hub.’  He is also a registered Architect with his own practice, has been awarded the Queensland ‘Emerging Architect’ Prize by the Australian Institute of Architects, and his projects have received AIA awards for Public, Residential and Sustainable Architecture, and are recognised through local and international publication. 

Dr Paola Leardini

Dr Paola Leardini is an Associate Professor and T&L Director of the School of ADP, where she has been leading teaching and research on sustainable and climate resilient built environments since 2015. Paola is a member of the UQ’s Centre for Future Timber Structures and the ARC Advance Timber Hub; her research aims to enhance circularity in timber construction through design for disassembly and reuse. She has been acknowledged internationally through keynote speeches, international fellowship awards and the contribution to the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale. She received a 2023 Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student as part of the Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT).

Dr Dan Luo 

Dr Dan Luo is a Lecturer in the School of ADP, with research focus on digital design and fabrication. Dr Luo acquired her PhD in digital architecture design from Tsinghua University, supported by her Master of Architecture from Columbia University and Master of Computer Science and Information Technology from University of Pennsylvania. Dr Luo has worked for pioneer design firm UNStudio. Her research combined advance fabrication technologies and design-build practice to explore the future of automated construction. Dr Luois a member of the ARC ‘Advance Timber Hub.’ Her work has been features in multiple publications and international exhibitions.