Boola Katitjin | Murdoch University

Murdoch University’s (MU) Boola Katitjin is the first and largest mass engineered timber (MET) building in Western Australia

Boola Katitjin is WA’s first and largest massengineering timber building, achieving key sustainability, integrity and quality goals, and world-first innovation:

• It pays homage to traditional owners of the land and surrounding landscapes with its timber construction and its Noongar name Boola Katitjin, which translates to ‘lots of learning’. Using timber, embodied carbon is reduced by 55% and the health & wellbeing of occupants is enhanced through biophilic design. Using industrial-scale renewable energy and other low energy systems, operational carbon is reduced by ~90%
• It is a vehicle for innovation, deploying a worldfirst robot to construct part of the building, thereby improving OH&S, increasing productivity, reducing cost and demonstrating what could be achieved in construction across the entire industry.
• It is a platform for industry/academia collaboration, through the robotics trial involving Aurecon, MU and UTS and through collaboration with University of Queensland to conduct full Please explain why you think this project should receive an award? scale prototype testing of a connection of the long span structure, pushing the boundaries of engineering.
• It enabled upskilling of the local timber industry through early engagement. Due to the exemplar nature of this project, it is being featured as part of a BBC documentary to be aired during World Green Building week.