Olaf.Thiele.Architektur

24/02/2026

Following up from our Mongarlowe Community Hall post, you might wonder: what actually is CLT, and does it work for a house as well?

Short answer — yes. And it helps solving the two biggest frustrations in residential building: timeline and budget uncertainty, particularly in cost plus scenarios which are so common in regional Australia.
CLT is an engineered wood product, layers of timber boards, stacked crosswise at 90° and glued under pressure, available in various thicknesses but typically used in 90 and 120mm thickness. Think of it as plywood — but at the scale of entire walls, floors and roofs.
The panels are CNC-machined to millimetre accuracy in a factory, then delivered to site ready to be installed.

Detailing for openings, electrical and other technical systems are planned ahead for seamless construction and fit out. A residential structure can be enclosed in days, not weeks or months. Fewer trades, fewer weather delays and a much tighter, more predictable program.

CLT isn’t the right answer for every project but when site and brief align, the benefits are substantial.
Save this for later if you’re in the early planning stages or thinking of starting a project.





SustainableBuilding
PrefabConstruction
TimberHome
SapphireCoast
RegionalArchitecture

20/02/2026

The Mongarlowe Community Hall isn’t just a building—it’s a lifeline. After the 2019–2020 bushfires exposed the community’s vulnerability, the team worked alongside locals to deliver a Neighbourhood Safe Place using CLT prefab construction.
High-quality.
On a tight budget.
In a remote location.
This is what happens when architecture meets resilience. Follow for more projects that prove sustainable, prefab design can build communities.

16/09/2025

Harnessing the sun’s energy through thoughtful design, House LouLou exemplifies passive solar principles tailored for the moderate South Coast climate.
In winter, the lower-angled sun enters through north-facing windows, warming the concrete floors that act as thermal mass—absorbing heat by day and releasing it by night for consistent comfort.
Come summer, the higher standing sun’s is prevented to enter the house by carefully calculated eave overhangs and the concrete’s thermal mass works the other way around in summer: cooling down during the nights and releasing the cool during the day.
This design reduces reliance on mechanical heating and cooling systems, making energy efficiency and thermal comfort easy and cost effective.
By aligning architectural elements with the sun’s seasonal paths, the home maintains a comfortable indoor environment year-round, demonstrating how good design can help you.

08/05/2025

The talented took some photos of the finished Tathra project.
The house responds to an aspiring and challenging site, having a BAL-40 bushfire overlay on a steep slope, vast views over Bega River up to its river mouth and to the Pacific Ocean. It’s also providing protection from summer and winter winds while still offering sheltered outdoor spaces for these seasons.
Needless to say it’s a solar passive design which requires little to no cooling or heating to be comfortable all year round.
Our South Coast climate is perfect for this!

19/12/2024

Update House LouLou
Metal facade finished and the timber facade in progress. Looks great together.
Then turn towards the finishes with clay rendered walls. Although the house is not huge with its 168sqm, it feels spacious and light. And the views are spectacular.

Looking forward to seeing it performing well in hot and cool conditions, the orientation, insulation, taped wrap and thermal mass will work like a miracle.

25/11/2024

Progress on House LouLou.
The metal facade and roofing being installed and the timber facade is chosen. Windows are in, stonework being laid and soon the internal finishes will be added and installed. Meticulous craftsmanship from
Scotty Hemsted

Daniel Roberts of Nature Coast Landscapes

21/08/2024

Update on the progress with House LouLou.

21/07/2024

CLT structure at Mongarlowe for the new community hall. The finished internal surfaces are beautiful and won’t need additional work or treatment.

All service channels and conduits are done in the factory which requires detailed planning but no additional work on site which saves time and labour.

The joints on the outside are taped for enhanced air tightness and will help to feel comfortable in this hall all year round. Wall and roof are battened out with insulation in between and the facade and roofing on top.
Marvellous.

13/04/2024

01/02/2024

The Eco Tourism Development for is on its way, the concrete for the amenities building will be poured next week.
Another beautiful destination for the coast is in the making.