Tasmania's first timber high-rise building taking shape on Launceston skyline

In short: A $30 million high-rise building made from timber is capturing the attention of industry and the local community alike in northern Tasmania A $30 million high-rise building made from timber is capturing the attention of industry and the local community alike in northern Tasmania What's next? Pressure is growing to use alternatives to greenhouse gas-intensive materials like concrete, steel and aluminium A multi-storey construction is turning heads in Launceston's CBD — the building is made almost entirely from timber. Mass timber products like glulam, CLT and LVL are made by layering timber pieces and joining them with glue to make products like planks, beams, and flooring. The only other negative is the cost — building with engineered mass timber is about 30 per cent higher than traditional products. "We erected five levels of mass timber in three months … if that was traditional concrete and steel it would have been at least double that," Mr Perkins said.