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Some of the most thought-provoking topics from some of the highest profile names in the industry: this is the goal for TRADA as it works to collate the main seminar programme at this year’s Timber Expo.
As part of TRADA’s on-going involvement with Timber Expo as a key partner – and working with the new owners Media 10 – TRADA is planning to attract speakers and panellists that are leaders in their field with an informative programme that really explains the important developments taking place.
Learning from four years of experience in delivering these must-attend events, TRADA’s format for the seminar programme will include a greater degree of audience participation with more discussions, panellists and Q&A time. This will give everyone the opportunity to digest what they’ve heard and discuss the implications for their businesses.
All the sessions will end with the speakers joining a chaired panel discussion that will handle questions from the audience and chairman.
10:00 – 13:00 Specifying timber made easier
Creating good specifications and getting specified are two highly important skills – as anyone in construction knows. The goals? To get it right, control costs and satisfy the client.
This session looks at – and debates – a range of issues and tools that will improve these goals being met and, just as importantly, timber being specified.
TRADA’s brand new National Structural Timber Specification (NSTS) document will have been launched in September and will feature as one of the tools discussed.
Speakers and panellists will include: ARUP, professional bodies including IStructE and designers and contractors for the recently constructed Sky Head office and broadcasting facilities. This building was not only famous for being the venue for the televised seven-way political leaders’ debate but was also used as a pilot case study for the NSTS.
13:00 – 16:00 Custom-build: the perfect opportunity for timber?
Self-build has firmly established itself as a significant proportion of the new house build market, accounting for between 7-10% of the market. Custom-build – a hybrid between self-build and traditional developer build – looks set to become at least as established in the future.
Timber construction is well placed to offer the full design, manufacture and erection services necessary. With limitless scope for customisation of internal and external finishes and features, it looks set to make major inroads into this market. In Austria self-build accounts for 80% of all new build housing – the UK market for this could be enormous.
The questions is: what needs to be done to make this a reality?
Speakers will include local authorities at the vanguard of permitting and encouraging this form of development and organisations offering solutions within this sector.
10:00 – 13:00 Pushing out the boundaries of what is possible with wood
Despite being mankind’s oldest and simplest material to build with, the potential of wood in construction is far
from being fully realised. Developments in connection designs, pre-fabrication, software design tools, computer
integrated manufacture, building codes and regulations, to name a few, all help to stimulate improvements in
what can be achieved.
This session looks at some of the work by leading practitioners and universities that is being used now on real
buildings.
Speakers include: Waugh Thistleton, architects of various boundary-pushing, medium-rise developments
and Cambridge University, which will look at cutting-edge techniques that have been applied on real projects.
13:00 – 16:00 Celebrating the UK’s most beautiful building designs in wood: Wood Awards winners 2014/15
Now in its 12th year, the Wood Awards recognises the very best in both design and craftsmanship of
wood in UK construction. Throughout the recession, the quantity and quality of entries continued to grow,
reflecting the growing use of wood in new and exciting ways in both prestigious and functional buildings.
One of last year’s winners and the shortlist for 2015 will be presented by the designers and judges respectively –
leaving time for and audience discussion with the judges on ‘what does it take to win?’
Speakers include winners from 2014 including Adam Richards and Duggan Morris Architects as well as judges of
this year’s and last year’s awards.
10:00 – 13:00 Wooden cities
No longer content with constructing buildings out of wood, in certain parts of the world the goal is to create whole
towns (or even cities!). Interestingly many are looking to the UK for inspiration on this matter; it has played its own
role in pushing out the ‘wooden envelope’.
This of course has presented the practitioners involved with many new opportunities as well as challenges – all of
which can be learned from.
Speakers will represent projects in Scandinavia and Canada, as well as one from home, looking at why the UK is
such a good place to build in wood.
13:00 – 16:00 WAN Awards ‘Wood in Architecture Award 2015’ shortlist announcement, followed by panel discussion: What are the most interesting developments in timber around the world?
Wood in Architecture is one of just over 20 categories of award run by World Architecture News. Drawing entries
from around the world, it complements our own UK Wood Awards.
Final judging of this competition will take place in the morning of this date and the winners will be announced
over a glass of wine for those staying on straight after the session.
In between these times, enjoy hearing from past winners and judges on projects that have won or been shortlisted
for 2015 and a panel discussion with the judges on ‘what are the most interesting developments in timber from
around the world?’