Features

Swann Edwards Architecture has an impressive portfolio of Passivhaus buildings under its belt including the practice’s own purpose-built office.

As the 1,000th Passivhaus unit in the UK awaits certification Timber Construction explores what it means to build to the standard.

As the construction sector’s demand for timber increases could modified wood be the answer to boosting supply?

Although CLT has been around as a building material for over two decades, it is still a relative newcomer when compared to steel and concrete. Michelle Gordon talks to Gavin White, structural engineering director at Ramboll, who has long been a pioneer of CLT, about pushing boundaries and bringing it into the mainstream.

The winners of the annual Wood Awards, the UK’s premier competition for excellence in architecture and product design in the world’s only naturally sustainable material, have been announced.

BIM adoption reached a high point this year according to the annual NBS National BIM Report 2017, seeing the most rapid growth since 2014 but there is still a way to go before the timber sector as a whole is confident in its use.

Almost 20 years after its first use in the UK cross laminated timber (CLT) is yet to be embraced by many in the wider construction sector. Peter Wilson, architect and director of Timber Design Initiatives Ltd reviews a new publication which aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of modern solid timber technologies such as CLT and glulam.

A panel of world-famous architects recently warned that Britain could miss out on a renaissance in timber construction because of a lack of investment in building methods and skilled workers. With Brexit likely to further exacerbate the skills shortage how can the sector build a strong homegrown workforce for the future?

Timber frame homes now account for over a quarter of the new-build properties in the UK and that number is continuing to rise as developers look to turn projects around more quickly.

Sustainably managed forests can protect wildlife, local communities and the wider environment from the devastating consequences of deforestation but how can you ensure that the timber you are buying has been responsibly sourced? Michelle Gordon talks to the PEFC and FSC about what to look out for