Historic buildings in the spotlight for new seminars

TRADA has partnered with RIBA to deliver a new series of workshops taking place across the country focusing on the use of timber in historic buildings and engineered timber products and panels.

The sessions kick off in March in the RIBA South West region and finish in Tunbridge Wells in November. They will be led by Tim Belden, TRADA’s University Engagement Programme Manager. The content of the presentation follows on from the 2016 core CPD presentations, but is equally stand-alone. 

The session examining the use of timber in historic buildings looks at the likely causes of degradation and the possible remedies that may be employed to deal with areas of degradation in timbers.

It also considers how to best protect existing timbers that currently have not degraded, as well as how we can better care for the future of buildings while meeting the current standards. Consequences of historical bad practice will also be shown and discussed.

Meanwhile, the other seminar will show the range of different engineered timber products and panels available and their applications. It will also consider the examples of current use that have pushed out the boundaries of design. 

Tim is the perfect choice to deliver these seminars: he has seen the construction industry from all angles - client, consultant, contractor and educator – and, in his most recent role with TRADA, has been responsible for developing several courses in construction and engineering. He has also been a millwright and a civil engineer. 

“Since the invention of durable weatherproof adhesives in the last 100 years, there has been continuous development of a variety of wood-based products, either as panels or as structural sections, that can be used instead of solid wood,” says Tim. 

“These seminars are a chance for engineers and architects to get to grips with engineered wood products and panels, and see how they can be used to challenge design limitations. Equally, they will give people a chance to look at the use of timber in historic buildings, consider best practice and culminate in discussing current research which impacts on the protection of historic buildings. This knowledge could be applied to present and future projects that delegates may be involved in.” 

This tour is kindly sponsored by the Timber Trade Federation.

• For further information on the course venues and dates, please visit our RIBA 2017 page.