Nearly 200 people attended the In Touch with Timber conference in central London on May 18 to see inspiring architectural projects showcasing wood in construction.
Three stunning projects – the Richmond Oval speed skating venue in Vancouver, the nine-storey cross-laminated timber apartment block Murray Grove and Deal Pier Café were all highlighted for attending architects and engineers.
Flyers were handed out at the venue, the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, promoting an expanded event for next year with a much larger exhibition element.
Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects said the Murray Grove project had shown that cross-laminated timber was a viable alternative to concrete in multi-storey residential schemes.
Paul Fast, of Fast and Epp Engineers, told the audience that the Richmond Oval speed skating revenue which graced the Winter 2010 Olympics, represented an exploration of combining materials – the 100m long glulam arches feature timber and steel, which was put together by a steel fabricator.
He told delegates that wood use in British Columbia had been neglected in the last few years, but since the 1990s there had been a resurgence of interest. A provincial Wood First policy, where wood has to be considered as the primary building material for public buildings, is now also in force.
Simon Smith, design director of Ramboll UK, looked at how building with wood could help to tackle climate change. He also urged timber associations to join together to increase the industry’s collective voice.
“Why does timber have such a small voice compared with steel and concrete (concerning sustainability),” he said, “Perhaps it’s because there are so many associations in the UK. There should be an opportunity to bring them together and shout a bit louder.”
About 18 exhibitors demonstrated timber and related products and services. The exhibition element will be expanded next year when TRADA‘s Timber Expo will replace the In Touch with Timber conference.
