APRIL- MAY 2022
Design centre future where timber construction leads the way Envisioning a future where timber is used more widely in mid to high rise buildings and contributes to carbon neutral targets, is an exciting opportunity
T
he tools to make this a reality are now coming together with the launch of the Timber Design Centre. Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service deputy director general Jason Wilson announced the launch at the WoodWorks conference, explaining that the Timber Design Centre aims to increase the use of timber, particularly in structures such as offices, hotels and multi-storey apartments.
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The Centre will provide expert advice, research, information and educational resources for those in building design and construction. The services are being shaped directly by industry and the timberdesigncentre.co.nz website has been created to support this from day one. The Centre’s work programme will be co-designed with a wide range of people involved in the building construction process including developers,
designers, council planners and consenters, architects, engineers, builders, building owners, students and researchers. The Centre is an initiative between Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service and a consortium comprising Scion (Crown Research Institute), the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (WPMA), New Zealand Timber Design Society and BRANZ. The consortium explains
that the greater use of timber in construction provides an opportunity for the sector to support the Government’s commitment to be carbon-neutral by 2050, whilst realising the broader economic and wellbeing benefits of including wood products in multi-storied buildings. Scion sustainability architect Andrea Stocchero says the world is on a quest to decarbonise and many people don’t realise New Zealand’s built environment is responsible for about 20 percent of the country’s carbon footprint due to the emission of greenhouse gasses over the full life cycle of buildings. This includes embodied emissions of building materials and products. “New Zealand can maximise the use of sustainably sourced, locally grown and manufactured wood products. “Trees sequester carbon from the atmosphere while they’re growing, and as long as the wood is in use, that carbon is stored so
