A recent industry survey conducted by Södra Wood has shown a definite increase in the specification of timber as a construction material in the UK, with 63% of respondents saying they believe timber is growing in popularity.

The survey (hosted through Building and Building Design magazines) generated insight from almost 350 architects, consultants, contractors and merchants. The objective was to ascertain whether the UK is beginning to recognise the merits of timber and the results were clear to see:

• 69% of those questioned said they already worked with timber
• 68.75% of respondents felt that timber can help meet government housebuilding and sustainability targets

When asked to rank the benefits of timber in order of importance, sustainability took the lead, followed by the fact that it is a quick and efficient material to work with. Great aesthetics took third place, then versatility, cost-effectiveness and offsite capabilities.

Nigel Buckley-Ryan, Sales Director, Merchants, at Södra Wood, commented: “As a timber business, we have been working hard to position the benefits of what wood can do for our construction industry – it’s really rewarding to see so many people working with timber. We believe it can help meet many sustainability and housing targets in the UK, so I’m delighted to see recognition of that.

“Sustainability is something that we are very passionate about here at Södra, which is why for every tree we fell, we plant another three and operate according to a tree’s natural lifecycle. It is welcoming to see that the UK construction industry is becoming more conscious of timber’s excellent sustainability credentials.”

Jeremy English, Sales Director, Manufacturing, at Södra Wood commented: “While timber’s popularity is clearly growing, there remains lots of opportunity for further development, especially in terms of timber’s offsite capabilities, and cost and time efficiencies. The interesting thing about this survey is that it also shows that work still remains to be done to raise awareness around timber’s benefits. We’ll certainly continue to build its case and, as always, endeavour to drive the industry forward.”

For further information about Södra Wood please visit www.sodra.uk