Sustainability Week: Insights from Trees for Canterbury and TimberSpan

Sustainability Week was an event to celebrate one of our core values. At Eliot Sinclair we believe in the power of community and bringing our team together to foster collaboration towards shared goals.

Steven Andrew from Trees for Canterbury, along with Dave, a park ranger from Christchurch City Council (CCC), shared the incredible work being done to restore the Styx River Reserve in Christchurch. Trees for Canterbury, a charity dedicated to providing native trees for replanting, has been working with Eliot Sinclair for the past six years. This partnership began as an alternative to client gifts—planting trees on their behalf—and has grown into a significant community effort. For every tree purchased by Eliot Sinclair, Trees for Canterbury matched with a donation, making it a collaborative joint venture.

Steven emphasised the power of community involvement in environmental restoration, Trees for Canterbury planting one million trees might go unnoticed, but planting a million trees as a community makes a substantial impact. Dave from CCC highlighted the long-term benefits of these efforts, such as improved water quality, better habitats for wildlife, reduced erosion, and less sediment in the waterways. Both speakers underscored the importance of community engagement, with volunteers playing a crucial role in maintaining and nurturing these natural spaces. These plantings are about creating a lasting legacy—something our children’s children will benefit from and be proud to visit in the future.

Adam from TimberSpan, part of the Tumu Group, shared with us their work in sustainable construction using mass timber as a sustainable construction material. TimberSpan specialises in engineered structural wood materials, particularly laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which is being used to revolutionise construction practices in New Zealand. Adam explained how mass timber offers significant advantages over traditional materials like steel and concrete, including environmental benefits, reduced foundation costs, and quicker project timelines due to prefabrication.

One of the standout points Adam made was the importance of minimizing waste in construction. TimberSpan's approach includes careful planning to ensure that any offcuts from their timber products are repurposed, contributing to a more sustainable lifecycle for buildings. This aligns with the principles of sustainable construction, which emphasise the use of recyclable materials and thoughtful design to reduce environmental impact throughout a building’s lifespan.

Adam also touched on the versatility of mass timber, highlighting its design freedom, seismic resilience, and the biophilic design benefits it brings to indoor environments. TimberSpan's collaborative approach throughout the design process maximizes both sustainability and cost-effectiveness, ultimately making mass timber a more accessible and practical choice for a wide range of construction projects.

The seminar provided valuable insights into the critical work being done by Trees for Canterbury and TimberSpan. Both organisations are at the forefront of sustainable practices, whether through replanting native trees to restore natural habitats or by pushing the boundaries of construction with innovative, eco-friendly materials. Their efforts remind us that sustainability is a collective endeavour, requiring collaboration and a forward-thinking approach to create lasting positive change.