WoodSolutions has released a new Design Guide to provide timber design and construction solutions for aged care accommodation that meet the requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA).

Australia’s ageing population is increasing the demand for aged care facilities and timber building systems have the potential to deliver significant construction cost savings. However, WoodSolutions says many people involved in design and construction lack the experience and knowledge required to gain the benefits that timber can deliver.

According to the Aged Care Financing Authority, increased life expectancy means an additional 74,000 new beds will be required over the coming decade to meet the needs of an ageing Australia.

Aged care (Class 9c) buildings are generally low to mid-rise in height, making them ideally suited to timber construction.

WoodSolutions new Guide 42 – Building Code of Australia Deemed to Satisfy Solutions for Timber Aged Care Buildings (Class 9c) provides information and options to comply with the BCA, using timber structural systems for Class 9c buildings. It covers fire and acoustic requirements and provides timber-based design and construction solutions.

“We are in a period of constant rediscovery, where theoretic and empirical evidence support the benefits of building with timber. With an engineered timber retirement village close to completion, I am hoping Australia will lead the way into building timber solutions for aged care accommodation,” says WoodSolutions national program manager and national marketing and communications manager for forest and wood products Australia Eileen Newbury.

“Guides 42 and 28 Rethinking Aged Care Construction – Consider Timber come with an essential toolbox that will support developers, designers and builders in understanding how building in timber translates into time, cost and sustainability efficiencies. Not to mention the health benefits.”

From a design approach, Guide 42 presents three distinct timber buildings solutions: lightweight timber frames, post and beam and solid timber panels (such as cross laminated timber or laminated veneer lumber).

The new Guide and the rest of the 40+ titles in the WoodSolutions Design Guide library are available for free download from the WoodSolutions website.