GAIA throws a spotlight on what is possible to achieve with sustainable materials and innovative construction methods for their latest campus facility.

The six-storey landscaper is now the largest timber building in Asia. Understandably for such a large-scale project, the quality of the wood and trust of the partnership were top considerations in selecting Stora Enso to provide 7,700 m³ of sustainable Sylva™ CLT Walls, Floors and Roofs by Stora Enso's mill in Ybbs Austria. 

The design brief was to create a world-class large-scale timber building which inspires the human senses and stimulates learning. This incredible timber structure invites you into a creative space for learning with it's exposed structural wood elements.  At Nanyang Technological University (NTU), students are encouraged to spend significant portions of their syllabus interacting with professors, other students and industry partners. The design supports this learning model, with each of the 25 classrooms fully equipped with the latest technology to enhance the university's collaborative learning approach.

Sustainability

Shipping the PEFC-certified wood from Stora Enso Ybbs, Austria took 29 shipments in 230 containers from Sep 2019 and June 2021. This emitted 1,024 tonnes of greenhouse gases (wood is so light to transport, especially by sea). 5 845 tonnes of carbon dioxide (the leading cause of climate change) were removed from the atmosphere when the trees were growing and while stored in the building. More than all of the trees harvested to build Gaia have already been replanted in sustainably managed forests making Gaia a renewable building. 

Moisture protection

All Sylva™ CLT Walls, Floors and Stairs were pre-CNC cut, to speed the construction time and precoated with insecticide coating. The coating successfully protected the wood during the construction phase from insects, termites, fungi, and basidiomycetes (brown and white rot) in humid and wet climate.  And provided the additional benefit of added protection during transport, site storage and installation as materials arrived pre-treated and ready to install (without the risk of infestation while being stored or waiting for local labourers to apply treatments on-site). 

At the mill, Stora Enso also added larch ply on both faces. The larch for the narrow edges was added in Singapore. Lifting plates were also installed in Singapore. All FINs were also pre-coated at the warehouse before installation.