Building in timber: What is all the fuss?
Watch the episode on YouTube right here!
Timber construction is having a moment, and from sleek urban offices to modular housing blocks, wood is being hailed as the sustainable material of the future. But is it really the environmental silver bullet it’s claimed to be, or just another marketing trend dressed in green?
We created a podcast episode, ”Building in Timber: What is All the Fuss?,” featuring David Lomax, Associate Director at Waugh Thistleton Architects. Join us when we take a deep dive into the buzz around timber, and the talk about how greenwashing is a real concern in the industry.
It’s easy to see why timber is getting attention.
It’s renewable. It sequesters carbon. It can be prefabricated. When used correctly, it results in buildings that are beautiful, breathable, and energy-efficient. Projects like the Black & White Building in London and Murray Grove, the UK’s first high-rise timber residential project, demonstrate timber’s potential to challenge conventional construction norms.
Engineered timber like CLT (cross-laminated timber) and glulam allow us to create taller, more complex structures than ever before.
But here’s the thing: The excitement has also created space for greenwashing.
Some developers and manufacturers overstate the benefits of timber or hide behind vague sustainability claims.
Just because a project uses wood doesn’t automatically make it environmentally friendly.
In the following article, we’ll discuss:
- Greenwashing: A Timber Trap
- What to Consider when Building with Timber?
- We Need a Different Mindset
Let’s dive into the traps, opportunities and reflections.
Greenwashing: A Timber Trap
The Construction Industry needs to be cautious not to fall into the trap of surface-level sustainability.
Simply putting a timber façade on a concrete building or using engineered wood without Lifecycle Assessments (LCA), doesn’t make a project green. There’s a tendency to cherry-pick data or present carbon benefits out of context.
When sustainability becomes a checkbox, timber becomes a brand rather than a solution.
While some countries are actively pushing for timber construction, through policy incentives, others remain cautious. And the market is shifting. Clients are increasingly asking for sustainable buildings.
Even if they can’t always define what that means.
That’s part of the problem.
And that’s why we need:
- more transparency across the supply chain
- stricter regulation
- better education
All in order to ensure wood is used as a genuine sustainability tool and not as a marketing prop. Greenwashing in timber construction happens when teams prioritize optics over impact.
Government policy and better guidelines for Life Cycle Assessment have to play a huge role in timber’s trajectory.
But what are these specific considerations we need to make when building in Timber?
What to Consider when Building with Timber?
The answer is actually that LCA is one of the biggest barriers.
Many companies struggle to interpret LCA data, and without consistent benchmarks it’s easy to manipulate the results. That’s why David advises firms to treat LCA as a learning tool – not just a checkbox.
Building codes need to evolve to support timber without compromising safety.
Incentives and subsidies can encourage sustainable forestry. And clearer standards for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are essential.
If you’re considering going all-in on timber, David emphasizes that intentionality and transparency are key. The design team must truly understand the implications of their choices—not just follow trends.
Here we offer a practical checklist for you:
- Where is the wood sourced from?
Local sourcing minimizes transport emissions and supports responsible forestry.
- What type of timber is being used?
Not all engineered timber products are created equal—some require high energy input to produce.
- How is the building designed?
Modular and adaptable design helps extend a timber structure’s lifecycle.
- What is the end-of-life plan?
Will the wood be reusable, recyclable, or sent to landfill?
- Are LCAs part of the process?
Lifecycle Assessments should be central to any sustainability claim.
If we don’t consider and reflect upon this, we risk being complicit in misleading practices.
Used thoughtfully, timber can reduce a building’s embodied carbon footprint. But if misused or misunderstood, it can become just another hollow gesture.
We Need a Different Mindset
Designing with timber requires a different mindset.
Unlike concrete or steel, timber is more sensitive to moisture, fire regulations, and structural spans. This is where BIM and digital collaboration tools also come in. Digital modelling allows project teams to plan precisely, reduce waste, and identify problems early.
But it also requires early coordination across disciplines. A challenge in an industry heavily siloed.
Still, as digital-savvy designers enter the field, we’re seeing a shift.
Coming down to basics: Timber construction isn’t just about materials – it’s about rethinking processes. And David raises a vital point when he states that the first step, towards true sustainability, is to reconsider how much we actually need to build and then build less.
This idea of “sufficiency” is gaining traction— designing only what we truly need.
And using materials, including timber, in a more intentional way.
So what is all the fuss about building in wood?
It turns out; it’s not just about timber.
It’s about:
- how we design
- processes
- values
- build
- live
Timber is not a trend—It’s a tool.
Used wisely, it can help the Construction Industry become more sustainable. Used blindly, it risks becoming another symbol of surface-level change.
Before your next project, pause… Ask the hard questions.
And more importantly ask: “Are we building something that truly needs to be built?”
Let’s not just change materials.
Let’s change mindsets.