Joint Seminar:
Designing and Building
Better with Timber
Christchurch - tuesday 21 april || auckland - thursday 23 april
event information
TDS members - $295
Non-members - $365
The ticket includes morning/afternoon tea, lunch and refreshments during the networking event.
Christchurch - Tuesday 21 April
Chateau on the Park, Riccarton
Auckland - Thursday 23 April
Hotel SOHO, MT roskill
Mastering collaboration — from go to whoa
Timber Design Society and Mid-Rise Wood Construction share a common purpose — building a better future for New Zealand’s construction industry by inspiring innovation and empowering professionals to unlock the full potential of timber.
But achieving great outcomes with timber doesn’t come down to one discipline getting it right. Mass timber and timber-hybrid projects succeed when collaboration is done well — with designers, engineers, contractors and suppliers aligned, shared visibility of constraints, and the right conversations happening at the right times.
This seminar is designed to reduce the practical barriers that still slow timber uptake by providing a structured, end-to-end view of typical design and construction phases and sequences — and the collaboration required to deliver successful timber projects.
You’ll step through the process from Concept, Developed and Detailed Design, through to Construction — with expert speakers from different disciplines sharing the key considerations, learnings and insights at each stage.
Alongside the benefits and opportunities timber provides, the seminar will also address known challenge points that come with working with this extraordinary material — and share real build examples and practical strategies for managing them.
Our goal is simple: equip you with the confidence and know-how to collaborate through every phase of a timber project — for a smoother journey and a more successful build outcome.
MEET THE SPEAKERS
Session 1: Initiating a Mass Timber Project
Bernie O'Fagan - RM Designs
Session 2: Sustainable Design Considerations
Lisa Oliver - Holmes
Barry Lynch - Nezo (formerly V-Quest)
Session 3: Fire & Acoustic Design Considerations
Dennis Pau - PTL Structural & Fire
Shaun King - Marshall Day
Session 4: Architectural & Structural Considerations
Pascal Schroijen - Holmes
Session 5: Detailed Structural Design
Bjorn Stankowitz - PTL Structural & Fire
Jaimie Whitehead - Dunning Thornton
Session 6: Construction Management
John Goldsworthy - Structureco
INSIDE THE SESSIONS
Session 1: Initiating a Mass Timber Project
Setting projects up for success from day one
Get the right people around the table early — including your contractor and key timber manufacturers — to lock in smarter systems, faster approvals, and more accurate early cost signals. Learn the “golden opportunities” to listen for in early conversations, and how you can become the voice in the room that helps get timber over the line.
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Session 2: Sustainable Design Considerations
Designing for carbon and cost efficiency
Low-carbon design isn’t a “nice to have” anymore — it’s being driven by climate impacts, legislation, finance, and even insurance. In this session you’ll get a simple carbon lifecycle 101, bust the myth that sustainable = expensive, and learn how carbon, cost, and weight are linked in real design decisions. Using case study examples, we’ll show the practical levers that cut emissions early — and why timber often delivers standout carbon outcomes (including what drives emissions in timber structures: species, sourcing, treatment, hybrids, fire/acoustic build-ups, and connections).
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Session 3: Fire & Acoustic Design Considerations
Balancing safety, performance, & comfort
Learn the easy wins (and the common mistakes to avoid) in fire and acoustic design for timber buildings — including why lab results don’t always match on-site reality. Get practical strategies where fire and acoustics intersect: ceilings, acoustic flooring, boxing structural elements, and correctly sealing penetrations. We’ll also point you to the best go-to resources and the latest system options and updates shaping the market.
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Session 4: Architectural & Structural Considerations
Aligning architecture and structure for design excellence
Using two built timber projects as the backdrop, this session shows how to align architectural layouts and structural systems early — from timber-friendly grids that still deliver big open spaces, to smarter coordination of beams and services. You’ll explore real-world options for lateral systems and floor diaphragms (all-timber and hybrid), plus the practicalities that make or break outcomes: exposing timber with fire/acoustic performance in mind, connection strategies (hidden vs expressed), tolerance and interface management across timber/steel/concrete, and the moisture detailing that protects the build.
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Session 5: Detailed Structural Design
Navigating design standards & technical details
Move from concept to consent-ready timber design with confidence. This session breaks down the key choices that set projects up for success — efficient structural forms and grids, when hybrid systems make sense, and why timber detailing needs to start earlier than you’re used to. You’ll get practical guidance on connection design and failure risks, services integration (and penetration limitations), current standards and compliance pathways, plus the moisture-management thinking and buildability/tolerance details that protect performance on site and in service.
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Session 6: Construction Management
Delivering compliance on site
DFMA timber projects are won (or lost) in procurement, planning, and coordination. This session shows how the right delivery model (ECI vs tender vs D&C) unlocks contractor and supply-chain expertise — shifting the mindset from construction to assembly. You’ll cover front-end loaded programmes that protect your manufacturing slot, a practical approach to moisture and installation planning that’s designed-in (not dumped on site), and the QA/ITP and compliance checks that actually matter — including the commonly overlooked requirements that can derail sign-off.