Social housing providers and developers are invited to a free seminar at The Building Centre in London next week about how they can meet sustainable housing targets.
Growing Communities: Meeting the Housing Challenge is designed to showcase some of the innovative business and delivery models that are helping to meet the UK’s housing shortage.
It is being hosted by Wood for Good, the timber industry’s awareness and sustainability campaign, and will pay special attention to timber systems.
The event will feature a number of speakers from the private and social housing market, each with a different approach to building. Included in the line-up is Alex Goodfellow from independent homebuilding, construction and development company Stewart Milne Group, and John Bedford, head of project development at Accord Group, a registered housing provider in the West Midlands with its own timber frame manufacturing and construction arm.
Dave Hopkins, Wood for Good’s head of external affairs, said: “The UK construction industry is being driven by increased demand for housing, both in the social sector due in part to the bedroom tax and in the private market as initiatives such as Help to Buy gain traction with first time buyers. It’s a situation that is set to gather pace with Savills forecasting a 55 per cent rise in the number of homes built over the next five years.
“However, as house building picks up, a shortage of skills and materials will become more evident, having an impact on delivery times and driving up prices. There’s a real risk that in trying to cut costs elsewhere, sustainability standards will slip.
“That’s why Wood for Good is hosting ‘Meeting the housing challenge’. We hope to demonstrate how housing providers can meet the shortage, highlighting the modern methods of construction that will help them to do so quickly, efficiently and at lower costs, without compromising on sustainability.”
Meeting the Housing Challenge is the first in a series of events designed to promote timber construction across all market areas. Other topics in the programme include education, healthcare, interiors and commercial and retail buildings.
Hopkins continued: “Timber now features at the heart of a growing number of design-conscious projects, from housing schemes to schools and hospitals. Our aim is to build on this momentum and move timber from the perimeters of UK design, to become a first-choice construction material, by engaging with built environment professionals in the decision making process.”
The event will take place from 2pm-5pm at The Building Centre on Tuesday, February 25. To register interest go to www.buildingcentre.co.uk/events/event_diary_details.asp?id=949
