STA factory tours attract record numbers
15 December 2014More than 300 people from across the construction sector attended the Structural Timber Association’s (STA) autumn timber frame factory tours – the highest number since the tours were introduced last year.
The six tours, which took place in September and October, attracted 338 people – three times the number that attended the spring series.
“That’s an indication of how the market opportunities are picking up,” STA chief executive Andrew Carpenter told TTJ.
The aim of the tours is for STA members to engage directly with the construction sector, including housebuilders, contractors, engineers, suppliers and architects.
“With timber accounting for only 18% of new homes in England and Wales, there is a real opportunity to increase the number built using the material and these factory tours are the ideal way to educate the wider construction sector on the benefits of building in timber,” said Mr Carpenter.
Next year the STA will speak at the NHBC’s nine Building for Tomorrow conferences.
“We were asked by the NHBC to speak on how to build with timber frame because their members are approaching them saying ‘we want to build in timber frame but we don’t know how’,” said Mr Carpenter.
The STA is also working on a series of seminars for RIBA and is with the Institution of Structural Engineers to educate engineers in the use of timber frame.
Hosts of the autumn factory tours included Kingspan Potton, Frame Wise, Stewart Milne Timber Systems, Scotframe, Oregon Timber Frame and Pinewood Structures.
