Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association (STA) takes a look at the variety of factors behind a ‘clear direction of travel’ towards designing with timber.
Within the context of net zero, decarbonising building stock has become an imperative, both in the UK and globally. Around the world, 40% of carbon emissions are currently created through the built environment – an alarming figure that urgently needs to be addressed.
Thankfully, the construction industry is adapting. With ESG having become a leading priority, architects are now expected to deliver sustainable project designs, requiring a more holistic approach than simply implementing energy efficient technologies. Comprehensive design strategies must now consider the full environmental impact of the solutions and materials used at all stages of the construction process.
Here, timber has emerged as a key material owing to its ability to dramatically reduce the embodied carbon associated with projects. In simple terms, that is the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the lifecycle of buildings, from extraction to end of life. Therefore, embodied carbon includes the carbon generated during material production, transportation and construction, as well as maintenance and demolition.
At present, embodied carbon within buildings accounts for 11% of all carbon emissions globally. Here lies the value in using timber as, crucially, it has the potential to reduce embodied emissions in a single building by as much as 60%.
Unlike other materials, timber can sequester carbon during its growth, essentially acting as a carbon sink. According to the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), carbon storage is approximately 50% higher in timber framed homes than in masonry homes, and can be up to 400% higher for larger buildings that use engineered timber products such as Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) instead of concrete.
Quality & programme benefits
What’s more, structural timber offers a host of quality and programme benefits in addition to its environmental performance. For example, engineered timber solutions such as CLT and glulam are readily used in large-scale structures owing to their strength, stability, design flexibility and building efficiency.
Meanwhile, in the housebuilding sector, solutions such as timber frame and SIPs offer significant benefits when it comes to reducing construction timescales. Timber-framed homes can now be built in as little as 15 weeks, significantly quicker than the 26 to 30 weeks typically required for masonry or concrete based projects.
Those shorter timeframes are crucial in a sector where efficiency is of paramount importance, helping to reduce project risks and costs. Timber-framed structures also become weathertight in typically 10 to 12 days, meaning internal works can start and finish earlier.
Additionally, with the growth of offsite manufacturing, many key components of timber frame structures can be produced in closely controlled factory environments, allowing for precision engineering and better overall quality control. What’s more, the use of sustainably sourced (and certified) timber will help to address deforestation, while also helping constructions to secure key certifications relating to excellence in sustainability used across the industry, such as BREEAM, LEED or WELL.
Upskilling & best practices
Clearly, timber is commercially favourable and sustainable. However, despite these clear advantages, several steps need to be taken to aid timber’s widespread adoption.
With many industry professionals traditionally using concrete and steel, timber can’t simply be swapped in as a replacement without some adjustments. Indeed, its use requires new design related considerations, making informed and proactive planning essential.
Architects keen to use timber will need to work closely with system suppliers and clients throughout projects, ensuring that design decisions and applications support best practices when it comes to timber – bearing in mind that early engagement with suppliers will deliver the best results. As with any building typology, aspects such as durability, acoustic performance and fire resistance will need to be considered, while architects should also be adopting design for manufacture and assembly principles, to help influence both sustainability outcomes and overall commercial performance.
Promisingly, the UK Government is emphasising this as a priority. In its Timber in Construction (TiC) Roadmap, updated in 2025, a spotlight has been shone on the importance of improving competencies across the supply chain, with a focus on seven priority areas, one of which is a focus on skills and training, and includes attracting new talent into timber related careers, reskilling existing industry professionals, and establishing forums for industry wide knowledge sharing.
For many architects, moving to timber will require concerted efforts, demanding new thinking, designs, and collaboration. However, those that are proactive in doing so will be well placed to spearhead the shift to low-carbon, cost effective architecture that will only continue to become a more pressing priority in the years ahead.
Uptake is likely set to increase. Timber’s appeal is compelling – from sustainability to commercial viability, resilience and aesthetic appeal. For architects at the forefront of the UK’s built environment, the material presents not just an interesting option, but a clear direction of travel.
Andrew Orriss is CEO of the Structural Timber Association (STA)