Techlam exhibits the latest innovations at the CONZTRUCT Trade Event

 Thursday, December 11, 2025

The CONZTRUCT trade event, New Zealand’s premier traveling trade show for the building and construction sector, recently concluded a highly successful session at Eventfinda Stadium in Auckland North on November 6, 2025. The event served as a vital touchpoint for the local construction community, bringing together builders, architects, trade professionals, and leading industry suppliers like the team from Techlam, a pioneering provider of structural timber solutions.

This decentralised format is key to the CONZTRUCT series’ success, ensuring that trade professionals, who often spend long hours on-site, have accessible, local opportunities to engage with the latest products, gain professional development points, and network with peers.

The event, which is designed to foster knowledge exchange and showcase innovation, puts a particular focus on the growing role of engineered wood products in modern New Zealand architecture and construction.

A major drawcard of the CONZTRUCT event was the eagerly anticipated pre-engineered truss assembly speed challenge. This interactive feature provided a hands-on, competitive environment for attendees—dubbed “tradies” in New Zealand—to test their practical building skills and experience the ease and precision of modern timber components firsthand.

The challenge offered a practical demonstration of one of the core benefits of using pre-engineered timber solutions: speed of installation. Unlike traditional ‘stick-built’ structures, which require extensive on-site cutting and assembly, pre-engineered trusses arrive ready to install. This level of prefabrication significantly reduces construction time and on-site labour costs, a critical advantage in meeting demanding project timelines.

For participating builders, it was a practical showcase, allowing them to see the difference that high-quality, factory-precision materials, such as Glulam (glued laminated timber) and other engineered timber systems, make on the job site.

Following intense competition throughout the afternoon, CONZTRUCT was delighted to announce the winner of the truss assembly challenge: Karl Kennedy.

Kennedy set the fastest time of the day, completing the pre-engineered truss assembly in an impressive 6 minutes and 42 seconds. He was awarded a portable COBB® Gas Grill, a practical prize for use either on a busy construction site for a quick breakfast or for personal weekend adventures.

The Techlam team, who hosted the stand, expressed their enthusiasm for the day’s activities. “Well done, Karl! Thank you to everyone who visited our stand and took part in the truss assembly challenge,” the team noted. “We truly enjoyed the conversations and the chance to demonstrate the benefits and ease of working with our glulam and pre-engineered timber solutions.”

The focus on glulam and pre-engineered timber at the CONZTRUCT event reflects a broader, industry-wide trend in New Zealand and globally: the increasing adoption of mass timber in commercial and residential architecture.

Engineered timber products are revolutionizing design and construction by offering an attractive blend of strength, sustainability, and efficiency:

1. Structural superiority: Glulam is created by bonding layers of timber with durable adhesives, resulting in a product with a high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent dimensional stability. This allows architects to design longer, wider spans without the need for excessive internal supports, enabling the creation of modern, open-plan spaces that are highly desired in contemporary architecture.
2. Sustainability and carbon sequestration: Timber is a renewable resource, and mass timber construction acts as a carbon sink, storing carbon captured by the trees throughout the building’s lifespan. This gives it a significantly lower embodied carbon footprint compared to traditional high-embodiment materials like steel and concrete, aligning with New Zealand’s push for low-carbon building practices.
3. Aesthetic and biophilic appeal: Exposed timber features, such as glulam beams and trusses, add natural warmth and visual interest. This aligns with biophilic design principles, which seek to connect building occupants with nature, contributing to enhanced well-being and a more inviting sensory experience of the built environment.

The success of the CONZTRUCT event in Auckland North, and the enthusiastic participation in the truss challenge underscores the industry’s openness to innovation and efficiency. The ongoing conversation between suppliers, like Techlam, and trade professionals is crucial for disseminating knowledge about compliance standards, sustainability practices, and the technical advantages of new materials.

The use of pre-engineered timber solutions allows for precision manufacturing in controlled, off-site factory environments, minimizing material waste and ensuring consistent quality. This strategy is critical for builders navigating increasing regulatory requirements and the need for higher-performance structures that can withstand New Zealand’s diverse climatic conditions.

The CONZTRUCT team expressed their appreciation for the positive feedback and interest, signaling their commitment to continuing this tradition of valuable, regional trade events, where they bring the latest industry solutions directly to the people who build New Zealand.

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Tags: Auckland Construction, Building Skills, CONZTRUCT, engineered wood, New Zealand Architecture, Pre-Engineered Timber, trade event