Tuesday, August 5, 2025
At the UK Timber Design Conference 2025, experts from the design and construction industries gathered to discuss timber’s potential in addressing the UK Government’s challenge of delivering 1.5 million homes in five years. The conference emphasised timber as a sustainable, scalable solution for affordable housing, underpinned by a strong commitment to environmental responsibility.
Jonathan Smales, Founder and CEO of Human Nature, kicked off the conference with a powerful message: “It’s not about just ‘doing the same thing but better’ – it’s about doing better things.” His speech urged attendees to reconsider sustainability not as an imposition, but as an opportunity to create healthier, more vibrant places for communities. Smales, known for leading the Phoenix development in Lewes, a timber-based settlement, highlighted how sustainable design can improve people’s lives.
A key theme that emerged was the transformative power of timber in construction. This approach goes beyond reducing carbon emissions; it is about creating spaces that promote well-being, happiness, and sustainability. The discussion clearly demonstrated how timber could be a key player in addressing housing needs while reducing environmental impact.
One of the central ideas presented at the conference was the manifesto “How Shall We Live?” created by Human Nature. The manifesto proposes a new model for placemaking, focusing on clusters of walkable, people-centred villages connected to hubs via public transport. This design approach prioritises community, connectivity, and environmental sustainability. The manifesto, backed by leading architects and engineers, suggests that timber construction can offer affordable, sustainable growth, particularly through urban densification and infill.
Melissa Mean, Founding Director of WeCanMake, shared her experience with community-led housing projects, urging the government to view housing as a human right rather than an investment. Her message “Every neighbourhood can be a bit more timber” resonated throughout the conference. She championed the potential of timber to drive urban densification, particularly in underused areas with existing infrastructure.
Mean’s call to action included key demands for advancing sustainable housing. These included regulating embodied carbon, setting national biomaterial targets in construction, prioritising well-located homes, and incorporating community-led housing into mainstream development. Her demand for a regulatory framework for embodied carbon – calling for a Part Z in UK building regulations – became a recurring theme of the event.
The UK Government’s recent initiatives to support housing development were also discussed. Edward Jezeph, Senior Manager at Homes England, outlined the establishment of the National Housing Bank, backed by over £16 billion of public investment, designed to address the country’s housing shortfall. The Bank, together with the 2022 Strategic Place Partnerships, aims to unlock housing and regeneration efforts across the UK.
The government’s housing strategy is expected to integrate support for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), offering a solution to challenges in the MMC market. As part of this shift, the role of timber in MMC was highlighted as key to delivering high-quality, low-carbon homes on time and at scale.
Robin Dodyk, Head of MMC at Cala Homes, and David Crawford, Managing Director at Deeside Timber Frame, both emphasised the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of timber frame construction. In Scotland, timber frame accounts for over 80% of new build homes, a model that has proven its worth in overcoming weather-related delays. Dodyk noted that timber frame systems allow for offsite construction, ensuring projects stay on track regardless of the weather. This factory-based model also addresses skills shortages in the construction industry.
Crawford highlighted the flexibility of timber frame construction, pointing out that “Standardisation need not mean cookie-cutter buildings.” This is especially true in Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA), which enables a range of house types to be built efficiently. The principles of MMC and timber construction were further reinforced as vital to meeting the UK’s housing goals.
Several developers demonstrated the increasing viability of timber homes in meeting both environmental and performance standards. Jonathan Wilson, Managing Director of CITU, described the mission of his company to create “the most impactful places for people and planet.” CITU’s MMC factory has been manufacturing timber panels for nearly a decade, prioritising low-embodied carbon and high-quality materials like wood-fibre insulation.
The focus on timber for insulation and low-carbon construction was echoed by Ness Scott, Head of Planning and Sustainability at Greencore Homes. Greencore’s Bicester facility delivers panels for 200 homes annually, with build times of around two weeks onsite. By adhering to the LETI 2030 standards and Passivhaus thermal performance standards, Greencore ensures that its homes remain energy-efficient and sustainable in the long term.
The 2025 UK Timber Design Conference made it clear that timber construction holds the potential to deliver the affordable, sustainable homes the UK needs to meet its ambitious housing targets. The government’s housing strategy, coupled with industry advancements in MMC and timber frame construction, offers a promising path forward. By prioritising sustainable materials like timber, the UK can build healthier communities, tackle housing shortages, and lead the way in environmentally-conscious construction.
As the UK works towards its 1.5 million-home goal, timber-based construction is proving to be a key element in building a greener, more sustainable future.
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Tags: eco-friendly construction, housing target UK, sustainable housing, timber construction, timber housing UK, UK building solutions, UK housing, UK housing timber design
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