Circa Morris-Nunn Chua Architects designed the Forestry Headquarters in Hobarts CBD, Tasmania. The project consists of two existing, recycled, heritage-listed warehouses built in the 1930’s. The two buildings are connected by the main centerpiece of the building, with a 22 m diameter timber and steel framed glass dome connecting the two.
This building repurposes the space to give a new office development with a total floor area of 6,000 sq m and the glass dome covers a new natural urban forest with Tasmanian native trees up to 10m high replanted to replicate their natural ecosystem. Utilising an existing building enabled a cost-effective design that inherited the historic environment of the existing building.
Forestry Headquarters is considered the most innovative structure constructed in Tasmania in the past 50 years and has won many awards including, the 1997 Australian Timber Design Award Finalist, 1998 National Awards Finalist, Recycling Award, Colorbond Steel Award and in 2000 the Australasian Lightweight Structures Design Award.