Rethinking the making of our buildings : a timber construction research and development facility in the Pretoria CBD

Abstract

Architects use materials to express an idea, give form and create shelter for whatever the reason might be. The architect’s arsenal comprises five main materials: steel, concrete, masonry, glass and timber. When and how these materials are used is dictated by personal preference, public opinion, legislation, environmental aspects and availability. The use of timber in the South African built environment has not taken centre stage, yielding to superior materials such as concrete and steel. Nevertheless, a mass timber building not only offers ecological and environmental advantages, but also immense skill-based advantages mainly because timber allows for component manufacturing and assembly (Green, 2019). Recent approval by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS, 2020) of engineered wood such as cross laminated timber (CLT) has sparked interest in developing a timber research facility completely built with wood in the Pretoria central business district (CBD). The high-tech construction of such a facility would utilise manufacturing methods like the integration of building information management (BIM) programs with computer numeral control (CNC) machines to enable unskilled workers to make a building instead of constructing the building. This dissertation aims to challenge local legislation around timber construction, empower unskilled workers to make complex/ large-scale buildings and change public opinion about timber construction, as well as to create a stronger timber culture in South Africa.