A better way to build...

While the housing sector as a whole has struggled to meet demand over recent years , one area has shown consistent growth – Timber Frame; and there is every reason to expect that growth to continue, with the industry investing in extra capacity to match the demand. The question is: should your company be part of it?

The need to change the way we build.

It is widely accepted, post Egan Report, that building practices have to change; that ways must be found to re-skill, improve productivity, reduce the impact of development on the environment, improve quality and provide higher standards for homeowners.

Off-site fabrication, encouraged by a number of Government funding initiatives, is the way to achieve this change: creating as much of a building as possible in a controlled environment, leaving as l ittle as possible to the vagaries of weather and on-site labour skills.

Timber Frame manufacturers are in the forefront of this revolution, investing in new, highly automated plant. Fully integrated computer design, engineering and manufacturing systems can produce the frame of a complete design, engineering and manufacturing systems can produce the frame of a complete house quickly and accurately, increasing the predictability and pace of building programmes.

Instead of daily spiralling subcontractor costs, Timber Frame offers a fixed price, fixed term solution for the supply and erection of the superstructure of a building.

The politics of the environment.

The pressure to adopt environmentally friendly measures is becoming more intense, wit h the Government demanding that all partners in the building industry contribute to reducing the impact of development on CO2 emissions.

Both the carrot and stick will be used. Planning and fiscal policy will favour ‘green’ development; more demanding thermal standards will be required.

Timber Frame’s environmental credentials and fast-track production technique can contribute towards achieving community with a high Eco Homes/HQI rating. Already there is evidence of pressure from the City on builders and developers to demonstrate their environmental credentials.

So why isn’t everybody using Timber Frame in the UK?

There are three main answers:

They are beginning to. In Scotland, Timber Frame accounts for 55% of new housing starts and is making gains elsewhere in the UK. But you can’t change an industry overnight. More and more builders are building more and more developments in Timber Frame and the industry is investing in design and manufacturing, as well as training, to match the demand. Long-term quality is the key to long-term growth.
Sticking with the devil you know. All systems, trading relationships and company know-how are invested in the status quo. Change requires re-thinking your business.
Price. A quality Timber Frame building isn’t cheap, particularly if the builder hasn’t thought his practices through. With the right planning and processes it will be more no more expensive than other methods. BUT factory fabrications means much greater control of costs and timings, which, coupled with the major cash flow benefits of faster build times, leads to significant project savings overall. Furthermore, the increase in flatted development due to PPG3 will radically enhance project savings.

A proven system.

Far from being a novel way of building, in most parts of the developed world Timber Frame is the norm – an engineered and proven system.

Over 70% of the people of the developed world live in Timber Frame housing. In the USA and Canada it accounts for 90% of low-rise buildings, while in Scotland 55% of new houses are built this way.

Timber Frame is not just suitable for low-rise domestic buildings; there is considerable growth in the construction of medium-rise buildings of up to at least six apartments and social housing, while it is also being used for schools and offices, hotels and student accommodation, sports and leisure centres and healthcare facilities.

As with any building process, quality is important. To ensure the highest standards of manufacture, the UKTFA requires its Members to comply with one of two independently assessed quality assistance schemes: Q-Mark and Q-Mark Plus.