There’s Just Something About Timber
When I tell people I’m a structural engineer, I find the subject is quickly changed as people don’t quite know what to ask, expecting not to understand or be interested in my answer. But when I tell people I’m a timber engineer, they are always filled with questions; what sort of timber, what are you doing with it, where are you using it, can you build me something? It’s the kind of subject that it doesn’t matter if you’re from a construction background or not, you can still add value to the conversation. Maybe it’s because timber is something we see and touch every day, maybe it’s those woodworking skills we learnt as kids, or maybe, just maybe, there’s just something about Timber.
I find in the people that I meet there are a few main reasons people are drawn to use timber:
For some it’s the belief in sustainability and innovative thinking. Timber is first and foremost a renewable product when it is sustainably forested. It achieves real environmental benefits through embodied carbon dioxide and its ability to be used as fuel in a cradle to grave lifecycle approach. But timber is much more than just an environmentally conscious choice. As we continue to develop engineered wood products and push the limits of traditional timber, we continue to improve the economic and social benefits of timber. Whether it’s the ease and speed of construction, safety on site or the lessened impact on the neighbours, everyone benefits from timber construction.
For others it’s the return to traditional methods. Historically we’ve been building and living with timber since we had the desire for shelter. Timber is something we are all comfortable with and confident in using and being around. Even my IT dad is confident in building a bookcase or two out of timber. We are a traditional culture, looking back on our heritage and experiences to help form our vision of the future. It’s pretty exciting that we know so much about timber and yet there is still so much more to learn.
Then there are people like me, where it’s about the way timber makes you feel. I love the smell of freshly cut wood and the texture of the grain under your fingertips. It has this architectural quality that soothes the senses and those qualities of form that only nature has the skill to provide. Timber has been shown to improve the quality of the space for the occupants with more people choosing and enjoying to live and work within timber than other constructions.
So why do you like timber? Are you excited about the new sustainable and innovative prospects? Do you love the history hidden behind it? Or is it simply the way it makes you feel? Whatever it is one thing is for sure; there’s just something about Timber.
