FEATURE OFFSITE & TIMBER
The Effective Way to Build Is timber frame and modern methods of construction (MMC) the answer to the UK’s many housing demands?
T
he Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called
Importantly, timber is a renewable material, with up to 90% of the
on the government and local authorities for urgent
timber used in the UK coming from certified sustainable sources such as
investment in housing to meet the growing demand for
the FSC and PEFC. The majority of the remaining 10% comes from well
social housing. Homeless charity Crisis recently calculated
managed sources in countries which do not practice certification. For
that 90,000 homes need to be built a year in order to meet this demand.
every tree that is harvested, five are planted in its place which means
Recent studies in the industry to calculate that if these houses were
that it is not only a sustainable method, but one that is integral to the
built using timber frame construction rather than traditional masonry
governments Net Zero by 2050 initiative.
methods, could save the government over £261 million. Timber frame construction responds to the wider housing
Richard Swayne, Director of Paramount Timber Frame says: “The time has come for the industry to switch to timber frame more
challenges. In fact, building with timber would see the government’s
aggressively. The benefits for using timber instead of traditional
existing target of building 300,000 homes per annum reached far more
masonry methods are tenfold. At Paramount Timber Frame, we know
effectively and sustainably, generating cost savings across the board
there is intense need for delivering high quality, good value housing and
and arguably moving towards bursting the current housing bubble.
fast. Switching to timber frame is how we start to build for tomorrow.
Building with timber is cost effective, with timber frame coming in at around a 2.8%* cost saving. It is also shortening construction time
To not only alleviate the housing crises, but to evolve the industry to becoming more sustainable, for both the environment and society. Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber
as Rider Levett Bucknall found in a study between the two methods. The build time for an average timber frame home was only 41 weeks
Association says: “It’s no secret that Britain’s housing construction
compared to 49 weeks for masonry. The two months of saved time
has faced numerous challenges over the decades, from planning
equates to further cost savings on labour most notably, as well as
restrictions, cost of materials and safety issues. Timber construction
improve cash flow by completing projects sooner.
provides a glaringly obvious solution to many of these challenges whilst
The cost savings and efficiency aren’t the only benefit associate
also meeting housing needs efficiently and net zero carbon by 2050
with timber frame. Timber is part of the circular economy, which is the
target. With timber construction we believe we can build back Britain,
most effective carbon store. When used instead of the more traditional
Better, Greener and Faster. Our Time for Timber campaign embodies
building materials, a single cubic metre of timber will save around 0.8
this, bringing together the science, data and industry thought-leaders,
tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. When extended to the 90,000
echoing that the time to change our out-dated construction methods
homes a year – that can make a huge difference to the environment.
is now.”
Timber Construction Magazine
Spring 2021
24
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