Product category:
Timber Buildings and Timber Products
News Release from: UK Timber Frame Association
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 29 April 2003
Timber Frames: Building for the 21st
Century
Anne McDonald profiles the UK Timber Frame Association and its work in the first year of its life.
Established in January 2002 to provide a single voice for the timber frame industry in the UK, the UKTFA (UK Timber Frame Association) has had a productive first year The Association has attracted a new member on average every eleven days over the year and by the end of December 2002 membership totalled 140 companies
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 29 Apr 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Timber frame construction now accounts for almost 17% of the new homes market, according to market statistics reported at the recent AGM for the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA).
Chief Executive Bryan Woodley said "I believe the rate at which we are attracting members proves that we are delivering what the timber frame industry wants - a strong unified voice to promote and protect the industry and members' interests." The Association operates democratically through a series of committees which enable key areas of work to be progressed - and individual members and industry "gurus" to contribute their expertise.
As well as membership and promotion committees, the UKTFA established committees to look at technical issues; education and training; and most recently, engineered wood products.
Clearly, several of these committees reflect key areas of development for the timber frame industry.
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A comprehensive Quality Assurance Scheme - the UKTFA Q Mark- was also launched in the summer of 2002.
The UKTFA requires Q Mark or ISO 9000 from all its manufacturing members and is in the process of having all members assessed.
At the time of the launch of the Q Mark, UKTFA Chief Executive Bryan Woodley said "We believe this Scheme to be unique in the building industry in that it covers the complete construction cycle, providing inbuilt design, manufacture and erection conformity checking, unrivalled by any other building method." On the Training front, work continues on the UKTFA's Timber Frame Training CD, which contains the following modules: * Features and Benefits for Sales Staff * Features and Benefits for office-based Technical Staff * Key aspects for Site-based Staff A Pocket Guide to Timber Frame Construction - plastic laminated to withstand the rigours of site use - is also being compiled.
This offers a practical guide for site managers and staff on the "dos and don'ts" of timber frame erection.
Both these products will be launched in 2003.
Partnering and Research As an influencing and lobbying organisation, the UKTFA has a policy of partnering with research, policy making and promotional centres throughout the UK.
UKTFA supported the establishment of the UK's first Department of Timber Engineering at Napier University Edinburgh.
The Association also linked with the Scottish Forest Industries Cluster Group, TRADA, BRE, the House Builders' Federation and Homes for Scotland, while providing key advisory members on a variety of Partners in Innovation (PII) projects.
Useful contact was also established with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) which has responsibility for, among other issues, Building Regulations.
Underpinning the activity of the Association is the work undertaken to promote - and when necessary protect - the interests of the timber frame industry.
During 2002 over 1.5 million people (1,612,404) had the opportunity to read about UKTFA and timber frame in a variety of articles, press releases and letters printed in 21 trade and consumer journals.
Members' news and views - as well as industry news- appeared in two UKTFA Newsletters, each circulated to over 6000 recipients.
Recognising the importance of getting the timber frame message over to the public as well as the industry, 25,000 copies of a consumer brochure "Timber Frame-the choice is yours" were created, with the sponsorship of wood.for good.
UKTFA also "talked timber frame" when it sponsored a new Award for "Best Timber Frame House" in the Daily Telegraph Awards; participated in three exhibitions; and partnered Bin giving a timber frame Conference in Oxfordshire in December 2002.
Throughout the year UKTFA espoused a campaign of positive promotion of timber frame and public rebuttal of misinformation, rather than responding in kind to the "knocking" campaigns of the Traditional Housing Bureau and the Concrete Block Association.
Chief Executive Bryan Woodley commented: "All standard systems of construction have their strengths which make them the optimum choice for particular applications.
How much better that sectoral interests within house-building should promote these strengths, as the timber frame industry has done.
The success of this approach is evidenced by timber frame's growth in market share.".
For more information about timber frame or membership of UKTFA contact the UKTFA on T: 01259 272140 or email bryan@timber-frame.org.
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