Housing

Tree Courtyard House – a generous space on a tight site
by Matt Milton|06 December 24|Design
London-based architecture practice ao–ft has completed Tree Courtyard House, a new-build single storey home on a backland site in Walthamstow, East London. © Rory Gardiner Constructed from brick and cross-laminated timber (CLT), Tree Courtyard House encapsulates ao–ft’s interest in sustainable construction, precision through off-site fabrication, and response to natural environment....
continue reading
Embodied Carbon
Government must connect house funding with carbon targets, says timber industry
by Liam Macandrew|30 October 24|Policy
Timber Development UK (TDUK) welcomed today’s Autumn Budget and the critical investments made into affordable housing, energy efficiency, and planning, all of which are essential to achieve the Government’s target to increase house building to 370,000 homes per year. TDUK chief executive David Hopkins said while the Budget announcements around...
continue reading
Housebuilding targeted in post-election plans
by Jennie Ward|30 July 24|Build, Supply
The new Labour government has set housing and construction firmly at the heart of its plans to kickstart the economy. How can timber help put UK construction back on track? New Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP used her first major speech to re-implement mandatory housebuilding targets, and commit to building 1.5...
continue reading
Goldsmith Street and beyond: Mikhail Riches’ award-winning timber-frame housing
by Matt Milton|24 June 24|Design
With a strong track record delivering Passivhaus at scale, TDUK members Mikhail Riches have carved out a special niche for themselves designing large, net-zero carbon housing projects. Although Mikhail Riches' catalogue of timber projects dates back to Clay Field in Suffolk in 2009 - built with timber frame, lime-based insulation...
continue reading
Brick-clad timber buildings using Donaldson's timber frame system
A timber-framed future for UK housing: Donaldson Timber Systems
by Matt Milton|09 June 24|Build, Design
Why have Donaldson Timber Systems just invested £10m in their offsite timber-frame factory? Because they anticipate a big future for timber-frame housing in the UK. They’ve boosted their capacity and technical capabilities because – like many of the UK's major housebuilders – they see timber frame as increasingly central to...
continue reading
Goldsmith Street
by Bryony Bodimeade|26 March 24|Design
Goldsmith Street is an exemplary timber frame scheme of 93 highly sustainable homes, all socially rented, in the heart of Norwich. Designed by Mikhail Riches, the development provides a combination of family-sized houses and flats for Norwich City Council, all built to the rigorous Passivhaus standards.
continue reading
Timber imports saw steady growth heading into Q3
by Jack Clappen|01 November 23|Statistics, Supply
July was the second consecutive month that timber imports were higher than in 2022, according to the latest TDUK statistics. Import volumes across all timber categories were 5% higher in July 2023 compared to the same period last year. This follows initial growth in June, where total volumes were up...
continue reading
YIMBY v NIMBY – Battle for the future of UK housing
by Jack Clappen|13 October 23|Policy
Our Policy Executive, Jack Clappen, looks at the key takeaways from the 2023 party conference season and what it means for the timber industry.  Housing is set to be a key battleground in the 2024 election, with renters, home-owners, and new buyers all struggling amidst a cost-of-living crisis. Rents are...
continue reading
What does the government’s latest housing policy mean for the timber industry?
by Jack Clappen|26 July 23|Policy
This week, the UK Government announced its latest effort to tackle the housing crisis. With housing a key driver of timber demand in the UK, we delve into what this latest announcement means for our industry. The government has pledged to build one million homes over this Parliament session by...
continue reading
economic forecast
CPA delves into Spring Economic Forecast
by Jennie Ward|11 May 23|Statistics, Supply
In a recent webinar, economics expert Professor Noble Francis went behind the headline statistics to discuss the latest CPA Spring Economic Forecast in more detail. Here, we reveal what he believes lies ahead for the construction supply chain. Construction output is set to contract by 6.4% during 2023, according to...
continue reading