Timber Frame, the solid solution to the housing crisis

In January, Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that the Government will directly commission small to medium sized housebuilders to build 30,000 affordable homes on underused brownfield sites. Here, Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive of the Structural Timber Association (STA), discusses this Government initiative and argues that timber frame housing can provide a timely, cost effective and sustainable solution to help solve the housing crisis.

The Government’s move to commission the construction of 30,000 new homes marks a positive start to 2016 for the housebuilding industry. By actively promoting the use of SME contractors, the Government has shown a clear will to reach its 2020 target of building one million new homes whilst diversifying the housebuilding sector.

 

Currently, the eight largest housebuilders in the UK provide 50% of new homes. As this policy is aimed at smaller housebuilders and developers, it will inevitably stimulate competition, opening up opportunities within the sector. Previously, the cost and difficulty in obtaining planning permission provided the main barrier to entry for these smaller contractors.

 

In fact, the legislative and bureaucratic logjam created by delays in planning permission applications is a huge frustration within the housing industry and has severely stymied the rate of growth of new builds. The Government has bypassed this impediment by identifying sites that already hold planning permission.

 

Cutting through this red tape will buoy smaller housebuilders as potentially more entrants will be attracted to the SME housebuilder market. Consequently, their position and accumulative autonomy within the housing sector will be bolstered and ultimately there will be an increased capacity to build homes at a faster rate.

 

Although this news is positive, the housing sector must capitalise on the momentum created by this announcement by positioning itself to build quality homes in a cost effective and time efficient manner. As such, timber frame is the ideal choice of material for UK SME housebuilders today.

 

Timber frame’s inherent strength, durability, sustainability, availability and relatively low cost give it a competitive advantage over other methods of construction. Structural timber, manufactured offsite, is monitored at every stage of its production and is not reliant on a multitude of other trades and determinants. Frames are constructed in a controlled and precise manner using the latest industry innovations and technology such as breathable membranes with thermal, acoustic, and fire protection inbuilt into the timber’s design.

 

Furthermore, a factory-based environment ensures safer working conditions for employees. Offsite timber construction doesn’t carry the same height risks as construction carried out onsite and is not weather reliant. This is a huge benefit given our changeable climate. Using offsite construction methods, strong winds, heavy rain and below freezing conditions has no effect on workers which leads to safer, better quality, more efficient and quicker production.

 

Moreover, an increase in offsite construction, as offered by timber frame, will improve the construction industry’s image among young people, helping to alleviate the chronic skills shortage within the sector. The government report, Construction 2025, outlined how the construction industry’s poor image was having a “detrimental effect on companies’ abilities to recruit and retain the best talent”. A more professional setting, away form the elements, will help convince prospective apprentices and graduates that their skills are best served within the construction industry.

 

Additionally, there are various cost benefits associated with building timber frame housing. Timber is a readily available material that can easily meet industry demands. Supplies of brick and block have recently suffered shortages and when a material is in short supply, a premium is placed on its price. There is also an alarming shortfall in the numbers of skilled bricklayers within the UK construction sector, with a recent Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey revealing 60% of respondents have difficulty in finding bricklayers for projects. These skill and supply shortages not only increase the financial burden on housing projects but at this moment when speed of construction is of the essence, they create unwelcome and unnecessary delays.

 

Timber not only enables specifiers to choose a material that is precision engineered and cost effective but also sustainable. Structural timber’s low heat conductivity, low embodied carbon, high structural strength, airtight construction and traceable supply chain make it an ideal choice for housebuilders with sustainability in mind.

 

With consideration to all these benefits associated with timber frame homes, it is the STA’s belief that an increase in the use of timber frame within the house-building sector would provide a solution to the perennial housing shortage crisis.

 

David Cameron’s announcement to directly commission the construction of thousands of homes is welcome news for SME housebuilders and the construction industry in general. However, whilst the priority is on the cost and speed of delivery, the issue of quality must not be overlooked. The construction industry and the Government must make a commitment to building more affordable homes, better, as to leave a social legacy beyond its 2020 mandate and accordingly, the choice of timber frame housing is the first step to achieving this.

 

ENDS

 

 

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