Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

Engineered timber products such as cross-laminated timber must be exempt from the UK government’s ban on combustible cladding materials, as they are essential in the global battle against climate change, say architects. Waugh Thistleton co-founders Andrew Waugh and Anthony Thistleton and dRMMfounding director Alex de Rijke have all urged the government to review its legislation, which prohibits the use of timber products on the external walls of residential buildings taller than 18 metres. Waugh and Thistleton said the new policy “demonstrates a misunderstanding of the fire performance of engineered timber”. “We are clear that mass timber construction is not a valid target for this change and will continue to advocate for its exemption,” said the pair. De Rijke, who has completed many buildings using cross-laminated timber, said the material is safer than steel in a fire.

The UK government has released details of its ban on combustible building materials in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, revealing that it will limit the use of cross-laminated timber in construction. The legislation, titled Final Impact Assessment: Ban on combustible materials in external wall systems, was published today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It confirms that no combustible materials will be permitted on the external walls of any new buildings taller than 18 metres. They will also be banned in renovations of existing buildings. As well as housing buildings, it will apply to student accommodation, registered care homes, hospitals and boarding school dormitories.  …”The policy prohibits the use of timber materials in the external wall of buildings within the scope,” it states.

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) specialist Waugh Thistleton Architects has vowed to fight the government’s new combustibles ban after it emerged that engineered timber would not be exempt from the policy The government confirmed last Thursday it was prohibiting combustible materials in the external walls of new buildings over 18m tall and containing housing. …In a statement, Waugh Thistleton said: ‘In the wake of the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, changes were needed to the construction industry and particularly in the way that external façades are designed, engineered and delivered. ‘On the whole, the new legislation should be welcomed from that perspective. However, we are clear that mass timber construction is not a valid target for this change and will continue to advocate for its exemption.’

Wood from threatened south-east Asian rainforests has been used to build venues for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, according to complaints filed with organisers. At least 134,000 large sheets of tropical plywood from Malaysia and Indonesia have been used as concrete moulds to build stadiums, causing what campaigners say is irreversible harm to precious biodiversity reserves. Charge sheets seen by the Guardian accuse the authorities of purchasing policies “resulting in the permanent loss of tropical rainforests in Indonesia as well as the destruction of critically endangered orangutan habitat in Borneo”. The allegations focus on the use of 8,700 tropical plywood sheets mostly supplied by the Korean-Indonesian firm Korindo. A report by a group of environmental NGOs this month alleged that the wood was being used to construct the Ariake arena, a planned volleyball venue, despite the lack of credible sustainability certification.

A new mass timber-framed office building – the first of its kind in Western Australia – is coming up in Fremantle with an aim to deliver one of the state’s healthiest and happiest workplaces. …Yolk Property Group director Pete Adams says, “Office workers spend around eight hours a day indoors, often in offices that lack adequate sunlight and fresh air while being surrounded by manmade materials like plastic”. …“Timber is one of the most sustainable materials available and has also been shown to boost productivity and mood, with research indicating satisfaction and wellbeing in the workplace are improved with the inclusion of wood and other natural materials,” Adams says. A research paper on the subject titled Workplaces: Wellness + Wood = Productivity, produced by strategic market research firm Pollinate and the University of Canberra, was released at the Green Cities conference in March.

A 52-metre-tall office tower made of engineered timber, designed by Bates Smart, has opened in Brisbane. The timber tower, dubbed 25 King, is the tallest engineered timber building in Australia. It is just one metre shy of the world’s tallest timber building, Brock Commons in Vancouver, designed by Acton Ostry Architects, which was completed in 2016. Engineered timber was used throughout 25 King, with a six metre by eight metre grid of exposed glue-laminated timber (glulam) columns with cross-laminated timber (CLT) cladding, as well as CLT flooring. The building features open office spaces across 10 floors, with exposed services. The offices make up thelargest gross floor area for an engineered timber building in the world. Philip Vivian, Bates Smart director, said, “Each time an engineered timber project completes, architects learn more about CLT’s potential as a new building material and how we can work and innovate with it on all types of buildings.

From a playful pavilion reminiscent of follies found in 18^th century landscapes to one of the largest timber structures in the UK – this year’s Wood Awards had it all. The winners captivated judges with their incredible workmanship and diverse but inspiring designs. They were announced on 20 November at a ceremony held at Carpenters’ Hall in London…TRADA is a proud sponsor of the Wood Awards, whose role in recognising, encouraging and promoting outstanding design, craftsmanship and installation using wood aligns seamlessly with TRADA’s aspirations as an association. TRADA’s Rupert Scott, “Congratulations… As always, the contrasting mix of buildings and furniture doesn’t disappoint in showcasing the boundless possibilities of wood – from modest transformations to vast structures you can’t miss. We were absolutely thrilled by the amount of entries the Wood Awards received this year and hope the industry will continue to strive to make better, more beautiful buildings.’

If someone was to offer you a wood jumper, you might picture something stiff and uncomfortable. But this sweatshirt, which is made of 100% wood, will completely change your perception of the material. The Blue Sweater is made of beech wood fiber and is full biodegradable, but is remarkably soft to the touch – and definitely won’t give you splinters! …By ditching cotton in favour of wood, the Blue Sweater saves a staggering 3,300 litres of water. The beech wood finer is sourced from FSC certified forests in Germany and Austria, and is grown without fertilisers, pesticides or artificial irrigation. Even the threads in the sweatshirt are made of wood – a biodegradable Lyocell thread.

There is a lot of grief in Australia’s construction industry this week following the demise of Strongbuild. It’s time for some frank realities to be outed from the shadows.  The transformation of Australia’s construction industry into a viable alternative to the past must be about pre-competitive engagements across the key players. It is not about new toys to enshrine business as usual …and it’s not about the industry’s customers being modern construction’s guinea pigs. …Firstly, I want to acknowledge the leadership and integrity of the Strongbuild team. They have been bold, innovative, generous and ethical  …It is only when these ends meet [customers and policy makers] that businesses such as Strongbuild will be able to offer an attractive investment platform that powers realising the vision that leaders like this bring to the market. The last week has been a sad indictment on an industry needing urgent change.

Apartments in a showcase five-storey wooden building at Clearwater in Christchurch will be priced at up to $2.5 million. The apartment building is to be constructed of engineered “mass” timber to demonstrate how these building materials can best be used in mid-rise buildings as part of a government initiative to boost the use of timber in construction. …“The whole project is a show case/case study on best practice and how to build with various timber solutions to achieve cost savings and the speed saving available from construction in timber,” Verry said.