Over the past five months, the top three teams in the Marketing of Services exam project embarked on a hands-on journey into the world of timber construction. The unconventional exam project, led by Dr Michelle C. van der Merwe, challenged students to market an idea – using timber as a sustainable building material – instead of a service. Hence, the Marketing honours students created an exhibition booth to promote timber construction at the 17th Green Building Convention (GBCSA 2024), held in Cape Town from 5 to 7 November 2024.

 

After the exam concluded, the top 12 students collaborated with the client, Dr Schalk Grobbelaar, Chairperson of the York Timbers Chair in Wood Structural Engineering, to refine their ideas and bring the booth to life. This collaboration offered students a rare opportunity to implement their marketing strategies in a real-world setting. Read about their exciting journey below.

 

 

“To prepare for our role at the GBCSA exhibition, we immersed ourselves in the timber industry through a series of activities and experiences: we attended a colloquium for architecture and engineering students, gaining insights into the latest timber-related research; we toured the Engineering 4.0 timber workshop; and visited a hybrid timber building – Lucky Bread Company at Castle Gate Lifestyle Centre in Erasmuspark.

 

In addition, we explored the world of timber during our field trip to Sabie. We visited Sonae Arauco's wood processing facilities and learnt how timber cut-offs are transformed into high-end wood products. We also experienced the full cycle of timber production during our visit to York Timbers' nursery, plantations, and sawmill, learning about planting practices at the nursery, harvesting practices in the plantation, and the conversion of timber into usable wood products at the sawmill. The field trip provided us with a deeper understanding of sustainable forestry practices and the challenges of balancing industry and ecosystem preservation. We are grateful to Sonae Arauco and York Timbers for hosting us and sharing their knowledge and passion for timber.”

“Next, we participated in the TCC, held at Future Africa from 9 to 10 September 2024. This event brought together architects, engineers, and investors to discuss advancements in engineered wood products. In addition to actively assisting behind the scenes to make the event a success, Alexandra Marques delivered a compelling presentation outlining our team’s vision for hybrid timber adoption and our plans for the GBCSA booth. This presentation was instrumental in securing sponsorships and funding for the project.”

“The exhibit preparation began two weeks after the exam presentations, with team leaders becoming the main point of contact for over 18 external partners involved in the project. Team leaders were responsible for securing funding, gathering samples, creating pamphlets, and preparing promotional slideshows, while also collaborating with Mass Timber Technologies and Raw Modular to construct the booth. The rest of the team took charge of conceptualising and implementing other booth elements, including a creative ‘timber tree’ that housed QR codes for the competition link.

 

Our Re-root exhibit aimed to address the ‘root’ of misconceptions about timber construction in South Africa, and ‘reroute’ or shift perceptions towards a future where timber plays a key role in building a climate-positive, sustainable environment. Each day of the convention focused on a different industry aspect – architecture and sustainable design, wood and structural engineering, and sustainable practices. The exhibit was designed to bridge gaps in the South African timber sector and encourage long-term partnerships to transform the future of construction in this country. After receiving an honourable mention for the best booth at the convention, we believe that we made a positive and lasting impact.”

Back: Jamie de Kock (York Timbers), Matthew Segal, Caitlyn Greve, Jason McKean, Christina Hesemann, Jacinda Cierenberg, Oscar Tait (York Timbers) and Dr Jaco-Pierre van der Merwe (York Timbers)
 

“A week before the convention, we posted content on the Growing Timber Connections LinkedIn and Facebook pages to create awareness for our booth. Posts were shared to the Timber Construction South Africa group on both platforms, to increase our reach. The posts included educational content, awareness creation, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engagement-driven posts. Once the booth was set up, we shared humorous, trendy videos such as ‘Gen Z manning the booth’ and Q&As from the convention to further engage our audience. As a result, new followers were gained on both platforms.”

 

“Managing the booth was the highlight of the entire experience, as we finally saw our hard work and ideas come to life. We distributed pamphlets, flyers and handouts to educate visitors about timber’s properties and its contributions to sustainable building practices, and had engaging conversations about timber’s role in improving sustainability. We interacted with a diverse range of individuals, from marketers and engineers to architects, property developers, and even CEOs and bankers, all united by a shared passion for sustainability. Networking with industry professionals about advancing sustainability in South Africa was truly inspiring and rewarding.”

 

Through this multi-faceted journey, our students gained invaluable insights into sustainable practices, stakeholder engagement, and the practical challenges of bringing innovative ideas to life. Their journey not only showcased the potential of timber as a sustainable resource, but also highlighted the transformative power of experiential learning.