The University of Pretoria (UP) was proud to host the second annual Timber Construction Conference, in collaboration with York Timbers and with the support of the Pretoria Institute of Architecture and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, at the University’s Future Africa Campus.

This knowledge-sharing event brings together industry professionals and academia in architecture, civil engineering, construction and built project management to share their experiences in timber design and construction. This year’s event included a pre-conference colloquium and the Awards Dinner of York Timbers’ annual Timber Design Competition for architecture students on 9 September, followed by the Conference on 10 September 2024. It focused on promoting the use of structural timber within the context of a sustainable, timber-based built environment to stimulate South Africa’s wood-based bioeconomy.

Speaking at the Awards Dinner, Prof Themba Mosia, the University’s Interim Vice-Chancellor and Principal, explained that the built environment currently contributes approximately 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with about a third emitted during the construction phase of buildings. By developing better designs and using bio-cased materials like wood in construction, we can meet the demand for new buildings, while conserving the environment, drive job creation and economic growth, and ensure that our graduates are skilled for the current and future world of work.

The Innovation @UP Growth Vision and Timber Design Competition was open to all architectural students across Africa. They were required to present conceptual plans for the vision of UP’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) to extend its existing FABI II Building using mass timber construction to achieve a masterful design with a low environmental impact and high operational performance. It should include spaces for collaboration, offices, laboratories, greenhouses and hydroponic towers. The competition received 31 entries of an incredibly high quality from five South African universities: the University of Pretoria, the University of the Witwatersrand, the Nelson Mandela University, the Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Johannesburg. The winners were Rudolph Botha and Noa Solomon from the Nelson Mandela University.

The pre-conference colloquium featured research conducted in UP’s departments of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Engineering Management in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, as well as the Department of Forest and Wood Science at Stellenbosch University. Interesting insights from industry were provided by York Timbers and Merensky Timber. It became clear that research and the development of new timber products and services will contribute to more equitable, sustainable forms of construction that enhance business competitiveness and promote education and skills development, with a key focus on mass timber construction and design. By using mass timber instead of steel or concrete, strong, durable, low-carbon, fire-resistant structures can be developed for any type of construction: from high rises to educational facilities and homes for people in any socio-economic bracket.

Dr Schalk Grobbelaar, a senior lecturer in the Graduate School of Technology Management and Holder of the University of Pretoria’s York Timbers Chair in Wood Structural Engineering for a Sustainable Built Environment and African Bioeconomy, explains that the whole mass timber movement responds to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to draw on innovation and create sustainable infrastructure, cities and communities. “Throughout the world, mass timber is leading the charge, and South Africa needs to be part of this.” This can only be achieved by training wood structural and chemical engineers, architects, data scientists, geneticists, breeders and forest scientists who can lead the development of a new, sustainable, wood-based bioeconomy.

The Timber Construction Conference therefore aimed to foster collaboration between government, academia and industry to promote low-carbon sustainability, competitiveness and excellence in South Africa’s bioeconomy and built environment. Dr Grobbelaar confirms that this is aligned with the goal of government’s National Development Plan (NDP) to create a prosperous country for all our people, ensure shared success, reduce inequality, harness potential, and build skills and capabilities.

Industry delegates benefitted from information from associations such as the Green Building Council South Africa, the Forestry Stewardship Council and the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions. They were also inspired by success stories from industry on the use of mass timber in construction, and its possibilities for design and construction. Its use not only contributes to a reduction in carbon emissions, the promotion of a circular economy and the reduced use of non-renewable resources, but also brings about savings on another valuable resource in the 21^st century – time spent on construction.

The event proved to be an enlightening and collaborative gathering of industry experts, academics, government officials and thought leaders, who shared their knowledge, insights and experiences through engaging presentations, panel discussions and exciting exhibitions. It also provided a valuable platform for networking, knowledge exchange and exploring the latest innovations in timber construction. It is hoped that events such as this will succeed in promoting the widespread adoption of timber construction throughout South Africa, and that industry will continue to embrace its many benefits, as well as its vast potential.