Timber Studio explores the agency and responsibility of architects in an age of climate crisis and the environmental implications of the materials we employ.

Timber specification is often positioned as an easy solution to low-carbon design: Using CLT instead of concrete or GluLam instead of steel absolves us of our guilt without having to alter our design approaches. Unit 2 commences with a detailed analysis of timber cultivation, extraction, processing and supply to interrogate the implications of our material choices on the landscape of the forest.  

These investigations are brought into contact with questions of material waste, reuse of existing fabric, construction labour and food/housing insecurity through the “client” for the building proposals. The Ridge SCIO is a Dunbar-based social enterprise who offer skills training and community support through the regeneration of overlooked and undervalued urban environments. The proposals address these questions to support the existing ambitions of The Ridge whilst imagining new possibilities for derelict sites in the town centre.