How many people must wish they’d thought of Ecobuild first? I know I do.
When it launched in central London in 2005, the concept of sustainable building was still a twinkle in the construction industry’s eye, and it was essentially an architects’ conference. It attracted an audience of just 1,200 and an associated exhibition comprised a mere handful of stands.
This week at Earls Court, Ecobuild 2010 had over 1,000 exhibitors and hosted more than a hundred seminars. And providing further proof of its immunity to the worst slump in UK building since the second world war, visitor numbers were expected to hit 50,000.
Ecobuild’s growth is in part due to slick organisation. But it’s mainly down to being in the right place at the right time, ready to catch the surge in environmental awareness that has swept construction in recent years. Building sustainably now makes sense to every corner of the sector. For believers in man-made global warming it’s clearly a no brainer. But, given its cost-saving benefits (from greater build efficiencies and reductions in energy consumption and waste against a background of rising fuel and landfill costs), it’s a logical path for the sceptics too.
The politicians are also adding to the eco-building momentum, partly out of conviction, of course, but also no doubt to be seen to be green by an eco-aware electorate. And this year, with an election in the offing, they were more than ever wearing sustainable hearts on their sleeves at Ecobuild.
All of which is good news for timber in all its forms. Seen as the renewable building solution by an increasingly broad swathe of the construction industry, it is, in turn, perfectly placed to capitalise on Ecobuild’s success. In fact, it has already well and truly started, this year boasting the highest profile of any single material at the show, with a presence on more than 10% of stands.
It may not be as good as having thought of the event in the first place, but being a timber-based business at Ecobuild is probably now the next best thing.
