Timber iQ August- September 2018 // Issue: 39 | Page 50

FEATURES
Continued from page 46
FUTURE INDUSTRY ENDEAVOURS
LUNAWOOD DECKING
Lunawood is an outstanding decking material
due to its stability and durability. Improved
insulation properties make Lunawood an
excellent choice for decking.
LUNAWOOD FACADE
Thermowood is an outstanding choice for
exterior claddings and facades. Thermowood
allows Scandinavian softwood to be successfully
used in hot and humid weather conditions.
REASONS TO USE
LUNAWOOD THERMOWOOD
Agent in Southern Africa:
www.npp.co.za
[phone]
Dyer says her greatest achievement was the publication
of the book Guide to the Properties and Uses of Southern
African Wood, which she wrote with two other wood
lovers, Barry and Danielle James. The book, which was
published in 2016 by Briza, brings together all the
available information on the most important indigenous
timbers and makes it accessible to everyone.
She continues, “My personal goal at present is to find
and train a candidate to continue with the wood
identification service when I retire. A key challenge is to
source finances to enable this. I would like to see more
women in managerial positions, even managing directors
of companies. I also want to see a far greater awareness
and appreciation of wood in South Africa,” shares Dyer.
“Personally, I strive to learn more about timber as a
construction material as well as the details of local
market complexity. I am interested in the potential of
harnessing more diverse timber material offerings, like
cross laminated timber (CLT) and full-scale prefabricated
timber homes to intelligently respond to South Africa’s
– and many developing countries’ – desperate need for
dignified, durable housing options with quick
delivery times.
“Developing a culture that readily accepts and values
timber as a legitimate housing option not only for the
wealthy will play a tremendous role in shifting attitudes
towards the material, which will impact both public and
private spend, ultimately tipping the scales of feasibility
to make building with timber even more accessible. The
economic and environmental benefits for a timber-
favouring culture are manifold,” says Rees.
On the subject of assigning loaded cultural morals to
children based on their gender, she says, “As the mother
of a little girl, I am struck daily by the many outside
forces that jostle to tell her (and me!) how she should
dress, behave and play and by all accounts what career
path she should pursue one day as a girl.”
As such, on the future of female representation in the
construction sector, Rees believes a profound force in
transforming an industry is raising young people – both
boys and girls – to expect nothing less than equality,
equal reward for equal efforts, to be unencumbered by
western media’s examples and teachings of how boys
and girls should be in the world and to encourage girls’
participation in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics.
With heightened awareness of the challenges women
face in their various sectors, a greater impetus to work
for gender equality from a grassroots level is poised to
enhance inclusivity in all industries, not just the
construction sector. As a driver of development,
economy and innovation, inclusivity is essential not only
for the survival of any industry, but its prosperity well
into the future.
More information and inspiration:
LUNAWOOD.COM
48 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2018 //