Solid Wood- The Solution to Education Building

Current lack of available in school places within the UK has been widely publicised in recent months. The critical need for new schools has come from overcrowding in the current education system and these figures are not slowing down – government figures show that the number of pupils attending England's secondary schools is in fact set to rise by 20% over the course of the next decade.

These alerting figures highlight the desperate requirement for new schools and extensions on existing facilities to be constructed in a fast and cost effective way, without compromising on quality. Timber technology offers exactly that. Cross laminated timber and glulam have become crucial tools in the enhancement of educational environments. Not only does solid wood help to construct high quality buildings at a faster pace – they also create the ideal learning environment.

Architects and specifiers are now looking beyond functionality when it comes to building and are starting to realise the value of designing environments that enhance productivity and wellbeing for the end user. Numerous studies have shown that through the improvement of indoor environmental quality, particularly within classrooms and educational buildings, concentration is increased which translates to greater productivity among students. Research conducted by the University of British Columbia and FPInnovations1, shows that incorporating wood in the interior of buildings can help to reduce stress levels in occupants. These conclusions highlight the value that wood can have when creating humane, supportive and inspiring educational environments.

Solid Wood Solutions will be taking place at the Inmarsat Conference Centre, London on 16 September and will host over 250 delegates from around the world. This combined conference and exhibition will be exploring the benefits of timber technologies in construction over a wide variety of sectors, including education. Presentations on solid wood in the education sector include, Kate Edmondson of Penoyre and Prasad - presenting a technical case study on Middle Row Primary School and Kay Hartmann of KLH, Andrew de Silva of David Miller Architects, Brian Spencer of Bouygues UK and Gavin White, Director of Ramboll – presenting a technical case study on Mayfield School, all demonstrating the advantages of specifying solid wood as a core structural component for this build. With sustainability and offsite construction high on the construction industry agenda - Solid Wood Solutions is the essential event to hear first-hand from industry leaders and innovators. Wood may be one of the world's oldest building materials, but it is now also one of the most advanced.

Solid Wood Solutions will showcase the very best in engineered timber by creating a platform for 18 of the industry's innovators to present some of the most prestigious projects from across the UK and Europe. As engineered timber is one of the fastest growing modern methods of construction, this event is designed to inspire through innovation.

Tickets are just £125 + VAT. Book now to avoid disappointment: http://www.solidwoodsolutions.co.uk/book

- See more at: Specification Online