Keynote Address - Andrew Waugh, Timber in the City, October 2018
At the 2018 Timber in the City conference, organized and held at Parsons, keynote speaker Andrew Waugh, of Waugh Thistleton Architects, examines how timber is a healthier and more sustainable option for the built environment. As many of us are aware, the built environment is a massive source of global carbon emissions (38%), with the steel and concrete for new construction being a significant portion of that amount.
In this presentation, Waugh shares his firm’s experiences working with timber and timber-hybrid projects. He shows that using cross-laminated timber and laminated-veneer lumber results in more sustainable buildings that use carbon sequestering materials. Timber buildings are more efficient to heat and cool and are just as fire-safe as non-timber buildings. Waugh demonstrates that timber building is scalable, highly efficient, and surprisingly variable. Not only is timber building one way to get our industry closer to global sustainability goals, but it is also ripe for architectural exploration. We at HML are looking forward to seeing the many directions in which timber can take the built environment.