The perfect future is a ‘data clearing house’ where minor design modifications to better align with supply chain data can transform productivity..

However, should the industry move towards using more timber construction, local supply may not be able to meet demand leading to a less sustainable product..The technical difficulties don’t eliminate the use of engineered timber but it’s clear there are many challenges that require more complex integration and technical knowledge than conventional construction systems..

The application of timber is wide reaching from engineered timber solutions to simple uses of lumber in isolated instances.The right type and application of timber needs to be considered alongside the building typology.However, our prevailing view is that timber is the best structural option, particularly in designs driven by carbon.

Timber should be used in low rise buildings such as residential, schools and retail, and could be introduced as upper storeys on a variety of taller builds mixed with other construction systems.It is not the solution for all buildings, but it has its place within the industry and should be maximised within its constraints.. Technical areas that require further investigation and that may shift the public perspective of engineered timber include the adequate carbon accounting of root decaying and soil, and the impact of sustainable forest management on ecosystems..

Article by Director of Sustainability.

, Head of Sustainability and Building Physics.Following on from the Latham and Egan reports in the 1990s, in 2016 the Farmer Report concluded that the industry must “modernise or die.”.

Sully says that the key element we’ve been missing in construction is the ethos of collaboration and innovation found in other industries.It’s a somewhat odd situation considering that the construction industry is inherently a collaborative one.

Every asset we build requires many different parties to work together, but when the projects end, people go their separate ways as competitors.Although that’s all fine and good, ultimately it means we aren’t taking learnings forwards from one project to another.