Welcome to our final newsletter of 2025!
As we wrap up another busy year, I want to take a moment to reflect and thank you for your continued support. November marked our 33rd anniversary, and fittingly, this is our 33rd newsletter – a great chance to look back on what we’ve achieved together.
This year hasn’t been without its challenges, but through the hard work of our team and strong partnerships, we’ve reached some incredible milestones. Engineered timber continues to gain traction across New Zealand and beyond, and our glulam solutions have featured in some of the country’s most ambitious and sustainable projects – most notably New Zealand’s largest mass timber office building on Devonport Road, now home to Tauranga City Council.
We’ve also secured supply for the redevelopment of Palmerston North Airport’s new terminal, where glulam will play a key role in the main structure. Further afield, we were awarded the structural package for the Tonga Parliament redevelopment, and we have more exciting projects in the pipeline for early 2026.
Our Levin manufacturing team has delivered outstanding quality and innovation throughout the year. A major highlight was acquiring the Woodspan brand and IP in August, enabling us to integrate proven Parallel Laminated Timber (PLT) solutions into our offering. This strengthens our mass timber range and ensures continuity of supply for these advanced products. We’ve also streamlined approvals for clients with the successful integration of pre-engineered truss packages.
Looking ahead, there are positive signs for the structural timber sector. After a tough period of stabilisation, the industry is expected to enter a modest recovery and growth cycle in 2026. We’re ready to support this with expanded capacity, expertise, and prefabrication capabilities. Glulam and PLT remain key materials for a low-carbon future, and our focus is on delivering innovative, high-performance solutions that meet both design aspirations and sustainability goals.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a successful year ahead.
Brett Hamilton – Managing Director
// New Techlam pre-engineered truss packages are taking the wait out of structural approval
For most builders, getting engineered trusses approved represents a familiar bottleneck. Rather than engineering each truss system from scratch, Techlam has developed a suite of pre-engineered, building code-compliant truss designs that builders can specify directly from standardised sheets.
The system covers spans from 1.5 to 8 metres, with pitches ranging from 20° to 35°. Each design comes with a PS1 and clearly stated engineering assumptions, developed through a partnership with PTL Structural & Fire consultants.
// 33 Years Young!
In November, we celebrated 33 years since Techlam first began its journey back in 1992. We are incredibly grateful for the simple belief that started the business and for every client, partner and team member who joined us along the way.
// Glulam pre-engineered trusses frame new Arapipi coastal residence
Building on the shifting sands of the Kāpiti Coast requires a delicate balance between robust engineering and aesthetic sensitivity. The recently completed Arapipi Residence in Peka Peka manages just that, blending naturally with its rugged dune context while delivering a refined, high-performance structure. Bringing the project together on this stunning but challenging site required close coordination between MCooper Architects, Slate Construction and AMX Structures. Techlam played a supporting role, supplying the specific engineered timber needed to meet the demands of the coastal environment.
// Recent events wrap-up
The last three months saw the team connecting with industry professionals across New Zealand at a wide variety of key events. Our focus remains on showcasing the performance and versatility of engineered timber, particularly glulam and pre-engineered timber solutions.
We had an excellent time catching up with builders and tradies at both CONZTRUCT Christchurch (October 6) and CONZTRUCT Auckland North (November 6). Both events featured our popular pre-engineered truss assembly speed challenge. September brought us face-to-face with designers and architects on the Design Experience North Island tour (Tauranga, Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington) with one key message – bring us your most complex design challenges. Conversations confirmed the New Zealand design community’s ambition, and we discussed how glulam provides the structural and aesthetic solutions they require.
The Techlam team also supported key industry gatherings, including the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of NZ (WPMA) Conference in Wellington and the WoodWorks NZ National Conference in Rotorua. These events provided important insights into accelerating the value and use of mass timber and ensuring a resilient future for the sector. We also enjoyed connecting directly with designers at two EBOSS TechEd events.
// Woodspan by Techlam PLT panels
Parallel Laminated Timber, or PLT, is a mass timber product that’s gaining traction in modern construction. What sets it apart is how it’s made: lumber boards are stacked and glued with all the grain running the same way. This parallel arrangement gives the panels exceptional strength and stiffness.
PLT works particularly well for floors and roofs. You can span long distances without needing thick panels, and it often performs well spanning in both directions. Since the panels arrive prefabricated, builders can install them quickly, speeding up construction and reducing waste.
There’s also the sustainability angle. PLT performs well in fires because the outer layer chars and protects the wood underneath. Plus, using timber instead of concrete or steel means you’re locking away carbon rather than releasing it, making PLT a smart choice for environmentally conscious projects.
// Proportionate Liability – What is there to fear?
Government has signalled that in 2026 it will introduce legislation to remove joint & several liability (also known ‘as last man standing’) and replace it with proportionate liability.
This means that parties will only be liable for the portion of the loss that their product or service has contributed to. Where a party is bankrupt or no longer around, that portion of the loss will not be recoverable. This means that there will be an increased focus on all parties.
For a building product supplier this means greater attention on the product and information provided; did this contribute to the loss. For architects this means greater attention on the plans and specifications; did this contribute to the loss.
Is this a big deal? Not really for those companies that focus on doing the right thing; supplying quality products with correct information that is easy to understand and useable or preparing unambiguous documents with all the correct information and only the relevant information.
Focussing on failure which is the cause of liability is negative.
Focussing on providing the best products and best services is the best, most positive and simplest approach to mitigating liability. That being the approach proportionate liability is of no matter.
Techlam has their own in-house regulatory expert who can be contacted at louise.swann@techlam.co.nz.
// Techlam welcomes Palmerston North Airport Team
The Techlam team recently hosted the executive team and board from Palmerston North Airport Limited at our manufacturing facility in Levin. It is always satisfying to take project partners through the details of our production process. Given that this significant regional development is happening right here in the Manawatū-Whanganui region, its importance to us as a local company cannot be overstated.
Engineered timber will be central to the terminal’s innovative design. The material provides a range of benefits crucial for modern infrastructure, ticking vital boxes such as sustainability, durability, and superior aesthetics. The finished building will undoubtedly showcase the stunning visual quality of the timber structure. We greatly appreciate the cooperative approach demonstrated by everyone involved in the project, including the team from Palmerston North Airport, LT McGuinness Limited, Studio Pacific Architecture, Beca, and the many other local businesses contributing their expertise. Projects of this scale achieve their best results when all parties work with shared purpose.
We look forward to sharing further milestones as we progress with the supply and installation of the mass timber structure for the new terminal.
// Glulam propels sustainable building at Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre
The recently opened Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre near Christchurch has solidified Aotearoa’s position in the global aerospace industry. The Centre is in position to become a vital link connecting regulatory bodies, innovators and key industry stakeholders while fostering a safe and sustainable aerospace ecosystem. Techlam supplied the glulam for the Centre’s state-of-the-art new aircraft hangar – an essential component of the new infrastructure designed to propel New Zealand’s future aerospace endeavours!
// Glulam across the globe
Image Credit: Einar Aslaksen
Our readers wanted to discover glulam projects from around the world in TechTALK. Each quarter, we are now featuring an inspiring glulam project from elsewhere. With Christmas fast approaching, we travel to Scandinavia, close to the North Pole, for an incredible industrial project in Norway!
Location
Magnor, Norway
Client
Vestre AS
Architect
BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
Structural Engineering
BIG Engineering
Timber Construction Company
Woodcon AS (Wood structure)
General Contractor
ØM Fjeld
Completion Date
2022
The Plus, a new manufacturing facility for furniture company Vestre, stands as a global example of sustainable industrial design. It became the first industrial building worldwide to achieve the BREAM “Outstanding” certification, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability by emitting 50 per cent fewer greenhouse gases than standard facilities. The structure, largely built from glulam and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), sits within 120 hectares of natural parkland near Oslo.
A clear vision for sustainable glulam construction
The glued laminated timber (glulam) structure is the absolute backbone of this facility, playing a crucial part in both its environmental rating and its functional design. The design, shaped like a large plus sign, relies on glulam post-and-beam structures throughout the main halls. This strong timber construction allows for clear-span spaces, with each major production area benefiting from an impressive 21-metre span. The high load-bearing capacity of the glulam was essential to providing the necessary open volumes for efficient, unobstructed manufacturing operations. The use of this engineered wood product, sourced from local materials, alongside a low-carbon concrete core and recycled steel, ensured minimal ecological impact.
Environmental performance and design
The material choices directly contributed to the facility’s ambitious environmental targets. The inherent structural strength and environmental performance of the laminated timber were key to achieving the low-impact design, helping the building’s energy requirements become approximately 90 per cent less than a conventional factory.
The factory’s radial layout connects four distinct production halls—woodworking, assembly, painting, and warehouse—to a central area, giving visitors an immediate understanding of the entire process. The warmth of the exposed timber structure ensures that this cutting-edge manufacturing environment is simultaneously agreeable for its employees and intriguing for its visitors.
// Techlam annual closure dates
Techlam offices and plant will be closed over the festive period. We’re committed to providing you with the best possible service throughout the holiday season. To help you plan your orders, please take note of the following key dates:
Holiday Schedule:
- Techlam will be closed from Tuesday 23 December 2025 (12:30 pm) through Monday 5 January 2026
- Techlam will re-open on Tuesday 6 January 2026, with the office open from 7:00 am
Order Timing:
Final order cut-off dates vary by project and region. Please confirm these with your Techlam account manager to ensure scheduling and delivery expectations are met.
From everyone at Techlam, thank you for your support throughout the year. We wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday season and look forward to partnering with you in the new year.
