Building the Future
TRADA’s University Engagement Programme is inspiring tomorrow’s architects and engineers about the merits of timber.
We all understand that timber provides a reliable, sustainable construction material. In the past, it was a material of choice and many of the UK’s historic buildings show its longevity. With the tallest timber building in the world having recently been completed (Melbourne’s Forté apartment building at Victoria Harbour), timber is in the ascendency.
In order to support and maintain this momentum in the industry, TRADA, with its long history educating the construction industry about timber, has re-invigorated the offering to universities and its University Engagement Programme is entering its fourth successful year. The aim is both to inspire the architects and engineers of the future, showing them what can be achieved with timber and how to do it, as well as to continue and expand the support TRADA gives to research on timber and timber products.
“In the past, many university departments had a timber ‘expert’ on their staff and, although some of these do still exist as do timber enthusiasts, many schools of architecture and engineering no longer have these specialists particularly in the technical aspects of timber,” explained Elizabeth Turner, TRADA’s University Liaison Manager. “That said, both lecturers and students see the need to understand sustainable construction methods and these are increasingly being taught. But do they have access to the right information?”
TRADA’s University programme is addressing this by providing a range of timber resources to allow an understanding of the material - how to build with timber to enable students to explore the possibilities offered to them by this unique and accessible construction material.
So what is TRADA providing? There is a dedicated area of the TRADA website for the University Programme where a number of resources are available to TRADA’s lecturer and student members. Covering a range of topics, a series of written modules are linked to TRADA case studies and well-respected Wood Information Sheets providing information specifically packaged to support study for an architecture or engineering degree.
However, probably the most important facet of the University programme is the funding of Elizabeth as the University Liaison Manager. With seven years experience at TRADA, it’s her job to ensure the programme runs smoothly and links between universities and the timber industry are forged and strengthened. Elizabeth spends much of her time on the road visiting universities to deliver timber-related lectures either as part of a technology module, where clearly the technical aspects of timber are important, or at the start of a design project where students have a defined brief as part of their studies. Recently, civil engineering students at the University of Sheffield were surprised to know the lengths glulam can span up to. But lectures are not the only things Elizabeth gets up to – a recent gridshell workshop at Sheffield Hallam University was a great opportunity to help students with their understanding of wood in a hands-on role.
In addition, keeping up-to-date with the timber research being carried out is essential and the programme also focuses on this important aspect. With the UK’s universities offering a huge resource both of brainpower, as well as in some cases excellent facilities, many work collaboratively together on large projects with others being centres of excellence on timber. Just like all other materials, timber will only benefit from further investigation into its possibilities and changing technology can only open up new avenues.
Competitions form an important part of the programme, challenging and inspiring students to design and build with timber, giving focus to the students’ studies but also offering them wider opportunities to learn and develop. Elizabeth has maintained the long, successful association with the North East Timber Trade Association (NETTA) continues and 2013 saw the second year of an engineering competition at Coventry University to design, build and test an engineered beam.
The Dan Kemp Memorial Pavilion competition which many of you may have seen at Ecobuild over the last three years shows the imagination of architecture students and the importance of being able to turn designs into a full-size structure and sponsorship of Timbmet with this competition is invaluable. All of the successful students in this particular competition have learned far and beyond what was required of them in their studies that should make them more rounded architects in the end.
Of course, Timbmet are not the only TRADA member to support universities and those who do support the programme by sponsoring competitions or providing materials, such as Arnold Laver which helped a design unit at Oxford Brookes both with materials for one-to-one prototypes and a chance to display work, offering a fabulous opportunity to students as well as to the wider timber industry.
“Through the University Engagement Programme TRADA is hoping to inspire both lecturers and their students and be the university timber ‘expert’,” said Elizabeth. “This should, in time ensure the next generation of architects and engineers do know that timber is a superb option for a variety of building types. Inspiring the designers of the future with a passion and understanding of this wonderful material can only reap rewards for us all.”
If you would like to know more about the programme, you can contact Elizabeth at eturner@trada.co.uk.