The phrase ‘a picture tells a thousand words’ was probably coined by a journalist in need of refreshment. With the sun over the yard arm and a thirst building, penning a quick, pithy photo caption would obviously have held greater charm than a 1,000-word article.
This week we show that pictures can indeed tell an exciting story (and, honestly, we weren’t desperate to go down the pub). The shots show the winners of the Timber Industry Awards. They highlight the range of construction using timber these days, and the sheer versatility of the material in so many different applications – from a traditional church lych-gate to the complex geo-metry of a roof at Portcullis House. The number of entries in the competition and the eagerness of sponsors to get involved also highlights the growing interest in timber and timber products across the architectural and building community.
And overall, according to the sponsors’ chairman Terence Mallinson, the Awards ‘prove the environmental and economic benefits of the only renewable building material’.
Interestingly, four of the TIA winning buildings used American hardwood, but the news had not been released in time to be celebrated at the American Hardwood Export Council European conference in Dublin. The latter event also focused on the potential for timber, but highlighted too how the debate between the various eco-certification schemes continues to burden the industry. The set-piece seminar at the conference brought together representatives of the American Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the Pan European Forest Certification scheme and the Forest Stewardship Council. There were glimpses of consensus, but it was clear the FSC is not yet ready to discuss mutual recognition with the others. Hopefully, in the interim, the pictures, not the war of words, will continue to do most of the talking.
