Tabitha Binding, University and Regional Engagement Manager
Our future built environment professionals need to both learn about timber and how to work with it physically and practically if we are to reduce global warming emissions and build better with timber.
Engaging our future professionals
The Built environment contributes 40% of The 9th of August saw the 6th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publish Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report. It makes stark reading – It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land by excessive production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gasses. The UK will see increases in the frequency and intensity of hot extremes, along with heavy or reduced precipitation, leading to both droughts and floods. We must reduce emissions across every part of our lives if we are to limit the rise in Global temperatures.
Reducing emissions – the opportunities for timber
If timber is to be used to reduce emissions, whilst also benefitting the environment during the tree’s growth, it must be used wisely and well. Choosing the right species and product, detailing for moisture in construction and in use, minimizing the quantities required through good design and engineering, designing for longevity and ease of maintenance, considering adaptation and end of life product re-use and recycling. Should we build at all, is retrofitting or repurposing an existing building be the first consideration? What part does timber have to play and how to design a good retrofit strategy with timber products – where appropriate.
These are the topics I cover as I talk to lectures, tutors and students at Universities and Colleges across the UK, linking the talks to the TTF and TRADA case studies, wood information sheets, books online and other learning resources.
Project based learning
But talking and reading are only one part of learning because although the students now have the information to design, engineer or specify – does that theory translate into practice? Often not, and it is only by specification and then construction of the design do you get holistic knowledge. A few Universities understand this and are leading a new form of pedagogy in project based learning.
Regional working – EATTA
The East Anglia Timber Trade Association have long appreciated and supported University Engagement. Chris James kicked off ‘Who Teachers the Teachers’ in 2018 and 2019, an ongoing programme that gives lectureres first hand knowledge of the whole timber supply-chain from Forest to Product and beyond. The 5 year programme derailed by COVID-19 will continue as soon as it is safe to do so.
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) lecturers took part in the first ewo educational visit courtesy of SCA and VIDA we have continued to work closely with them – enabling us to reach 1,000’s of students within architecture and engineering at ARU over the past 3 years
Pavilion 03 with Anglia Ruskin University
Pavilion 03 at ARU is the third time the East Anglia Timber Trade Association has supported live build learning by sponsoring the timber components in the student designed and built pavilion.
In a course led by Maria Vogiatzaki Deputy Head and Professor of Architecture and Planning at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) working with engineering support from Toby Maclean at Allt Environmental Structural Engineers, first year Architecture and Architectural Technology students form teams to design a pavilion that can be made from timber.
The Pavilion designs are whittled down to one via a process of elimination and in 2021 ‘One Stroke’ was chosen. The students and EATTA worked through material choices, starting with plywood, then moving to Medite Extreme and then on to home-grown Oak and Larch as the iterative process of specification and ordering met with the realities of cost and supply in a fast changing market.
Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Steam bent home-grown green timber, secured by stainless steel fixings reduced material wastage, the environmental impact and considered end of life and reuse of the components. Working with Charlie Whinney studios the pavilion was constructed and erected at the end of the third semester by the students and staff.
So why does EATTA get involved?
Richard Fatkin, EATTA’s Chairman “These students are our industries future. They will design with and then specify the many timber products that our industry supplies, in their future careers. By working with them at this stage of their learning, we are not only imparting essential knowledge, but also building relationships. By sponsoring the supply of material, EATTA goes one step further enabling hands-on learning too”
Working with Maria and her team EATTA brings timber, sustainability and carbon to the attention of first year students as they embark on their studies to becoming our (timber) design professionals of the future.
