By Timber IQ and SA Affordable Housing
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) has put in place three pillars in promoting timber as an alternative building material. The three pillars are:
- Pillar 1: Demand creation and transformation
- Pillar 2: Capacity building (research & development: technology and innovation).
- Pillar 3: Industrialisation and supply chain.
In Pillar 1, the dtic states that three areas need to be recognised as requiring more focus in terms of perception:
- Consumer recognition that the use of wood could raise the value of their properties
- That wood is sustainable and a material for the future
- That modern wood (incorporating both design and improved modifying technologies) does not rot prematurely
- As the support for sustainable development is growing, there is urgency to highlight awareness at national level of the need to incorporate stronger sustainability principles into policy development. Finally, project managers and the entire construction industry need to be upskilled appropriately with regard to new technologies and processes. A government can support awareness and education through the following policy measures:
- Offer training programmes at job centres and in cooperation with companies
- Implement effective and leading-edge curricula in universities, technical colleges, and apprenticeship schemes
- Enhance the attractiveness of architects and professions through image campaigns.
Timber iQ will look at all three pillars in more detail throughout 2021.
Source: The Promotion of Wood Construction Strategic recommendations by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic).