Timber iQ February - March 2019 // Issue: 42 | Page 48

WOOD WISE
Timber as a construction material is poised to be at the forefront of energy efficient and sustainable design and construction in South Africa.
Meeting nature halfway
Weighing in on timber as a construction material with high potential
for energy efficiency, sustainability and a real future in South Africa.
By Werner Slabbert, director, Rustic Homes
B
uildings are major consumers of energy and this
applies to much more than just their day-to-day
running. From basic components, transport,
construction, operation and final decomposition after its
useful life, a building has significant potential for a gentler
environmental footprint.
When applied to construction, there are several
materials and technologies available to render a project
more energy efficient and sustainable. While there is a
place for all types of construction materials, timber boasts
many properties that make it particularly well suited to the
homeowner, builder or property developer looking for a
building option that is kinder to the environment, not just
during its useful life but across its entire lifecycle.
46 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2019 //
This means that we need to pay attention to where the
timber comes from, how it was grown, processed, treated,
stored and transported before it reaches the construction
site; all the energy that goes into that piece of timber from
seed to site is known as embodied energy, which is a
significant determinant in how sustainable a structure is.
We also need to think about what happens to timber after
its useful life.
All construction materials, whether they are grown or
mined, will have to undergo processing, storage and
transport, which means that once they arrive on site, they
will all carry a measure of embodied energy. Timber,
however, is unique in that during its ‘manufacturing’
See more on page 48
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