Sustainable Timber Construction

Timber is quantitatively one of the most important renewable raw materials for construction and is widely considered to be the most significant sustainable building material. The application of timber, however, should not proceed without due consideration of the suitability of the material and an intelligent selection of the structural system. The consideration of social, ecological and economical aspects, over the entire life-span of a building, must be taken into account as much as the architectural and technical requirements when choosing structural systems and materials. Planning and construction within an interdisciplinary team, therefore, play decisive roles in realising sustainability for the construction industry. The principle of not felling trees from a particular area, while simultaneously reforesting that area, is a fundamental policy of the forestry industry. Architects and engineers are in the position to provide considerable assistance to the success of sustainable economies through intelligent planning and use of materials – sustainable construction is construction with timber.