Wood is an adequate mainstream construction material and affords building designers a wealth of possibilities and opportunities

How delightfully inevitable that when wood comes to the fore, competing materials sectors, almost as one voice, rise up to condemn it on as many counts as they can collectively muster (25 May, page 12)! Do they ever do this in any other situation?

Wood is an adequate mainstream construction material and, in all its natural and “re-engineered” forms, affords building designers a wealth of possibilities and opportunities.

It should not be used gratuitously but should be considered at the “first” stage of all building construction developments, alongside all other materials possibilities, where it will meet requirements of Building Regulations and then be chosen meritoriously.

Whether or not Hackney is “allowed” to adopt a “wood first” policy, the awareness created by this little furore will at least get architects, their clients and building designers in general to look at the possibilities afforded by wood on more projects in future.

John Park, The Wood Consultancy

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