A glittering panel of hosts and speakers including architectural historian Tom Dyckhoff, presenter of BBC's Great Interior Design Challenge, will bring talent, knowledge and a passion for wood to the prestigious Timber Expo at NEC Birmingham from October 10-12.
The three-day seminar programme recognises timber trailblazers in design and build, including Darron Haylock of Foster & Partners and Steven Wallis of dRMM, who will talk about their award-winning designs and the role timber has played in achieving their vision.
Steven Wallis, Senior Associate at dRMM, says: "I'm very much looking forward to Timber Expo. It's a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and find out what the industry is up to. dRMM enjoys carving out beautiful spaces from the natural environment and we have a long history of working innovatively with timber.
"We adopted a non-architect approach to our design for Hastings Pier. It was very much about engaging the community to bring a national treasure back to life, and timber was at the heart of that.
"As a designer today, it's impossible to ignore the environmental advantages timber holds over other construction media. Working with engineered timber, we could push boundaries that were once only in the realms of concrete and steel, while reducing our carbon footprint. These modern materials have brought the warmth and beauty of wood to Hastings Pier and helped to promote a healthy, exciting and dynamic environment for visitors."
Darron Haylock, Partner at Foster & Partners, says: "I am delighted to be part of this event and welcome an opportunity to talk about Maggie's.
"When we started the design process, there was no debate: we all wanted to use timber as a structural material. In wood, there is hope, warmth, beauty and nature, all known to reduce blood pressure, heart rates, recovery time and promote a sense of well-being.
"We built Maggie's in components, like an Airfix model, and completed it in six weeks. We are very proud of the building and delighted that it is being used by people to such good effect."
Jim Heverin at Zaha Hadid Architects kicks off the event with a talk on designing the world's first timber football club, while Jon Shanks at Buro Happold shares pioneering research on the dynamics of tall timber buildings.
Jim Heverin, Director at Zaha Hadid Architects, says: "I'm looking forward to attending Timber Expo and talking about our design for the world's greenest football club, which will be powered by sustainable energy sources. Timber is a very good way to reduce the carbon footprint embodied in a structure, and this is a big priority for many of our clients."
Timber expert Andrew Lawrence provides hands-on specification, guidance and advice with a session on: CLT Standardising Structural Timber, while Simon Smith at Smith & Wallwork adds a dash of French glamour with a masterclass on how to design the Eiffel Tower.
A timber-inspired solution to Fix the UK's broken housing market, Wood to promote well-being, and Lessons in timber digital design are some of the other exciting themes at this year's Timber Focus Theatre.
TRADA's Rupert Scott says: "We are delighted to partner with Timber Expo once again to bring a seminar programme that is our best to date. We welcome an all-star line-up of some of the biggest names in architecture and construction.
"We hope that our stellar list of speakers not only encourages companies to consider timber as a beautiful, sustainable, cost effective and healthier alternative to other materials, but inspires the next generation of young architects and engineers to build iconic timber buildings."