Designing with Timber: Opportunities and Advantages
Arup's approach to designing with timber showcases the material's versatility and sustainability, highlighting its suitability for various building types and sizes. With recent advancements in computer-controlled manufacturing and engineered wood products like Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), timber construction offers shorter program times and lower costs while providing safer, cleaner, and quieter environments.
Key points:
- Sustainability: Timber is the only renewable construction material, locking away carbon dioxide for the life of the building.
- Unique Properties: Leveraging timber’s strength, lightness, and machine-precision, Arup advises on integrating these properties from project inception.
- Multidisciplinary Approach: Arup's team includes structural engineers, materials scientists, fire engineers, vibration and acoustics specialists, building physics experts, and sustainability consultants to optimize designs holistically.
- Cost-Effective Use: Designing-in timber from the start ensures cost-effectiveness, with expertise in minimizing costs, material selection, and optimizing systems integration.
- Global Collaboration: Working closely with manufacturers and suppliers, Arup shares knowledge and experience globally to produce safe, durable, and cost-effective timber structures.
- Innovative Applications: Examples include multi-storey office buildings, wineries, healthcare facilities, schools, and sports halls, demonstrating the material's potential beyond traditional uses.
- Advanced Technologies: Utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) systems to enhance fabrication efficiency and minimize waste.
- Health and Safety Benefits: Research suggests health benefits linked to wooden structures, expanding timber's application to healthcare sectors.
- Seismic and Climate Resilience: Investigating timber's suitability in seismic zones and its potential for swimming pools, sports halls, and gyms.
- Complex Architectural Designs: Leveraging modern software and BIM/CNC technology to create innovative, complex structures like the Timber Wave and Endless Stair, showcasing the material's aesthetic and functional capabilities.
Arup's comprehensive approach to designing with timber demonstrates the material's potential to deliver sustainable, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing buildings across diverse sectors.
