Glulam is a 19th century form of wood fabrication that aligns perfectly with contemporary, state-of-the-art and sustainable design solutions. Here at Curvwood, we use glulam fabrication to create curved wood structures… with wow factor. Whether you’re building warm and inviting eco homes, slick urban architectural projects or striking art installations, we help you create the extraordinary.
Exceptional custom wood manufacturing
Glulam fabrication refers to glued laminated timber, an engineered timber product that emerged in Europe in the late 1800s. While it reached Australia in the 1950s, we’re yet to see it reach its full potential. And that’s an exciting place to be. We truly believe glulam will transform our national architectural landscape. With your vision and our glulam, the potential is limitless.
The glulam process involves working with three or more uniform layers of timber (lamellas) which are glued into straight or curved structural members.
Typically, the lamellas are first dressed to uniform thickness, glued and clamped together to shape, then cut to the exact size. We can connect timber pieces to create vast, continuous curved glulam beams.
Glulam beams are longer, stronger and more resilient than traditional timber joists. They pack a punch with the perfect pairing of stunning aesthetics and superior performance.
Glulam fabrication gives you full flexibility as a designer or builder. We can tailor the construction for added strength in areas of high stress. And we have the capacity to produce both curved and straight beams for applications ranging from frames and roof trusses to joinery.
Versatile timber solutions
At Curvwood, we work with a variety of softwoods and hardwoods when we create with glulam.
We’ll recommend the best options based on your design brief and budget – and take into account structure location, environment and purpose.
Your timber options include Tasmanian Oak, Radiata Pine, Slash Pine to name a few. Or we might recommend Accoya, a durable, sustainable and highly flexible timber solution… that’s brilliant for applications ranging from playground equipment to landmark pavilions.
Our skills go well beyond our expertise in glulam, so we can provide end-to-end timber services including cutting, dressing, sanding, priming and staining. Best of all, when you work with Curvwood, you get one-on-one specialist advice and a fully tailored solution.
Because we’re solutionists – we’ll go above and beyond to find you the best glulam solution for every size and type of project. Our glulam fabrication will help you create warm, inviting and incredible timber structures that are quality assured and commercially robust.
Sustainable and singular structures
Timber is more than a material to us. We are committed to sustainable and ethical glulam fabrication.
We source our timber from suppliers with sound forestry management and sustainable development principles – so you can be sure your curved wood structure is fabricated with habitat protection front and centre.
The glulam fabrication process allows us to make use of short timber sections, so we can use more of every tree – and reduce wastage. Our glulam beams also weigh approximately 20% less than steel members. They require a fraction of the energy consumption of steel production, with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, timber can help combat climate change because wood retains carbon dioxide. It remains locked within the timber for its entire natural life span.
Glulam timber for easy installation
We’ll find the perfect glulam timber solution for every architect, artist and builder we work with. With full flexibility in glulam beam sizes, and straight or curved wood members, you can design and build, limited only by your imagination.
We also fabricate to precision specification and deliver our glulam beams pre-fit. Beams are light and no specialist erection techniques are required, so your contractors simply add connecting brackets for super easy assembly.
When we compare timber to steel, in our opinion, wood wins hands down. Timber is beautiful, warm and instantly appealing in homes, hotels, playgrounds and so many other spaces. With glulam, we help you elevate utilitarian architectural spaces… to the remarkable.
Are you ready to create something extraordinary?
At Curvwood, we’re passionate about glulam fabrication for contemporary, state-of-the-art and sustainable design solutions. Contact us to discover the true potential of timber.