The STA was invited to speak at the NHBC’s ‘Building for tomorrow’ events in London, Solihull, Swindon, Leeds and Glasgow throughout April to discuss Timber Frame Construction for the Future.

NHBC’s ‘Building for tomorrow’ is an annual technical conference series that explores the future of construction and is a must-attend event for anyone involved in building new homes. This year’s events focused heavily on the Future Homes Standard, the requirements for compliance and its implications for housebuilders.

At each event, Andrew Orriss, of the STA, looked in-depth at structural timber solutions for the Future Homes Standard and critical detailing. The presentation demonstrated the different structural timber construction methods for housebuilding, for example, timber frame and SIPS, and the many benefits of each of the systems. Of course, there are a great number of benefits to structural timber builds, but some key aspects that were explored centred around the reduction of carbon and the speed of construction. 

Timber, in comparison to materials such as concrete and steel, is the standout performer when it comes to embodied carbon. The carbon sequestration characteristics of timber mean that as a construction material it is the most environmentally beneficial to support the drive to net zero. The versatility of timber makes it the ideal material for offsite construction, increasing the speed of build while also reducing the negative carbon impacts of onsite construction.

Andrew also discussed the STA Membership and Quality Standards Scheme – STA Assure. STA Assure has been designed to benefit both clients and members by promoting the differing accreditations and quality standards held by individual STA member companies. This scheme offers reassurances to the construction community that STA members meet or even exceed current legislation and regulatory requirements.

The STA’s overarching mission is to enhance quality and drive product innovation through technical guidance and research, underpinned by our STA Assure programme. The STA have decades of experience and continues to implement this knowledge towards promoting the adoption of timber in construction.

In addition to seminars and events, the STA invests heavily in the research and testing of timber and associated products to alleviate any concerns and misconceptions about the material and its use in construction. You can access this research plus other useful insights and documentation on the STA’s website.

---