That’s September done and dusted. Isn’t it interesting how the months seem to speed up as we approach the end of the year? We only have 12 or so weeks until Christmas and then we will be done with yet another year.

Two days of timber thinking 

On 14 and 15 September, Prof Schalk Grobbelaar and his team at the University of Pretoria hosted the Timber Construction Colloquium and Conference. Under the banner of the York Timbers Chair in Wood Structural Engineering, it was a fascinating two days. It was great to have York CEO Schalk Barnard present at both events, and we applaud York for renewing its support of the Chair until 2033. I hope that other industry players will follow suit and support initiatives such as these.

The colloquium featured 25 speakers and presenters from the University of Pretoria, Stellenbosch University, Durban University of Technology and the CSIR. Reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of timber construction, the programme drew on expertise in architecture, structural engineering, engineering and construction management, forestry, wood science, fire, marketing management and infrastructure innovation.

From research to real-world applications 

The second day was also jam-packed, but nonetheless inspiring and informative, with a diverse group of people from academia, architecture, engineering, timber manufacturing, construction companies and sustainability bodies sharing insights on green building trends, mass timber and modular construction, structural timber engineering, local materials, digital engineering workflows and modern timber architecture. This was all alongside practical case studies of timber buildings and developments, as well as some interactive workshops.

Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition John Steenhuisen joined us virtually to give an opening address. He highlighted the need for greater public awareness of timber construction, together with the skills and technical data needed to support its wider adoption. He said that the conference speaks directly to decarbonisation and diversification, which are key pillars of the dtic’s Industrial Development Strategy. We hope that his participation will pave the way for gaining the attention of other high-ranking officials and showing what can be done with wood!