Follow us:
Subscribe to our e-newsletter

logo

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Products and Services
  • Events
  • Online Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Products
  • Events
  • Online Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Only timber can tackle climate change – timber and the latest construction technology

14 Jun, 2022
40
Andrew Waugh


This is the view of expert and pioneer in the use of engineered timber and offsite construction, architect Andrew Waugh. “Working with timber has obvious environmental benefits: it’s replenishable, it’s made of carbon and has a very low embodied energy,” says Waugh. “Trees soak up carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and release oxygen.”

Clearly timber is a far more sustainable building material than concrete or steel. However, it is the advances in the technology of engineered timber and the development of effective offsite construction techniques that are making timber a viable alternative in many applications.

“Building homes offsite speeds up delivery and reduces the impact of construction on the local area. Homes constructed out of engineered timber, using cutting-edge technology, are of a higher quality than those built using standard construction techniques,” says Waugh.

“Prefabrication turns each construction site from a uniquely made commodity to a practised process. Each building will be made from a series of customized components, giving us the buildings we deserve rather than the ones we put up with!”

Waugh, a pioneer in this new building process, claims that a hundred years of concrete has made his profession lazy. The architect is no longer the master builder. For many years, architects have focused only on design and have not been involved in construction. They have not really confronted the issue of climate change. He wants architects to reimagine building construction; to experiment with materials as much as they experiment with design.

Waugh is excited about the prospect of timber products and offsite construction revolutionizing the building industry. “We will be building completely in timber by the end of the century,” he says. “From an architectural standpoint, the really exciting thing is to see what kind of architecture this new material brings.”

Andrew Waugh is a founding director of Waugh Thistleton Architects and one of the leading advocates of the use of engineered timber and offsite manufacturing and construction. From cinemas to synagogues, Waugh’s award-winning designs are championing the cause of low-carbon construction.

Andrew Waugh will be a keynote speaker at Timber Offsite Construction 2022 at the Opening Session Tues 21 June at 8.30am AEST;  to be hosted at Crown Promenade, Melbourne, Australia on 21-22 June for delegates in-person and/or virtual participation.

www.timberoffsiteconstruction.com

 

 

 

 

Related Articles

civic building

The first net-zero-energy mass timber civic building in the U.S.

Market Square

Market Square to be one of SA’s first all-electric workplaces

Heliostat technology shines at Rhodes Central

Heliostat technology shines at Rhodes Central

Metro and CEFC shoot for the stars with new greener homes

Metro and CEFC shoot for the stars with new greener homes

Comments

Leave a comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Latest Posts

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
29 Jun

Survey shows majority of Australians want investment in renewables

29 Jun

New renewably-powered desalination plant planned for Alkimos

24 Jun

EEC Professional Certifications to prepare Australia’s energy workforce

24 Jun

Funding to extend operations of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics 

22 Jun

Emerging technologies like LEMs can solve Australia’s energy crisis

23 Jun

Cities of the future may be built with algae-grown limestone

22 Jun

Global sophisticated green building designs awarded

22 Jun

A national environmental impact standard to measure embodied carbon

15 Jun

Australian cities falling behind global cities on sustainability according to 2022 Sustainable Cities Index

14 Jun

Only timber can tackle climate change – timber and the latest construction technology

29 Jun

Binding methane with metal: a new hope for recycling the potent fossil fuel

29 Jun

WA’s first Clean Energy Future Fund project now operational

29 Jun

New battery and critical minerals prospectus to power investment

29 Jun

Australian-German business coalition produces a roadmap for large scale green hydrogen import to Germany

24 Jun

Farmers say food supply must come before gas export industry

Online Magazine

    Current Cover
  • Login
  • Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter

Our Titles

  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
© Sage Media Group 2022 All Rights Reserved.
×
Authorization
  • Registration
 This feature has been disabled
 This feature has been disabled until further notice, however you may still register
×
Registration
  • Autorization
Register
* All fields required