Housebuilder – Sustainability and the green agenda

04/05/2023

Comment Extract from Andrew Orriss for Housebuilder

Timber frame solutions like this are increasingly turning the heads of housebuilders because of their energy and time efficient characteristics, says Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association (STA). “The government has identified the increased use of timber in construction, particularly in housing, as part of its drive to net zero.” The government’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has said that timber frame new build homes need to increase from 28% to 40% in the UK by 2050 to achieve its carbon neutral goals.

The Timber in Construction Working Group, of which the STA is a member, is creating a suggested roadmap to guide and encourage this growth. Orriss points to the work Barratt

Developments is undertaking with SaintGobain at the University of Salford as an example of the sustainable potential of timber frame housing. The partnership recently announced it was building a concept house in a climate chamber to test performance in extreme weather conditions. eHome2 is the next step on from Barratt’s Zed House, which reduced embodied carbon by 125%, and is part of its mission to create a blueprint for homes using low carbon products.

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