Timber is the focus of a one-day masterclass which aims to address the planning, construction and design issues shaping the government’s agenda for new homes.
Organised by the BRE and RIBA-linked Design For Homes, ‘Timber Solutions’ follows previous masterclasses in steel and concrete/masonry, and is directed at architects, specifiers and developers.
Construction minister Brian Wilson will use the event, at Stewart Milne Timber Systems’ Witney factory, to launch fresh documentation for standards in timber.
A wide range of speakers will explain how timber frame is enjoying a renaissance but is still poorly exploited compared with other mainstream structural systems.
Three major themes to be outlined will be the use of timber in medium-rise apartment blocks (six to seven storeys); the major investment in timber frame manufacturing to exploit customisation issues for the planning of homes built to PPG3; and the untapped user benefits offered by the frame system.
Speakers for the December 5 masterclass, supported by Finnforest and the UK Timber Frame Association, include Hugh McKay, executive chairman of Stewart Milne Timber Systems; Bryan Woodley, chief executive of the UKTFA; and Dr Peter Bonfield, director of the Centre for Timber Technology and Construction at the BRE.
