Paul Newman appointed as technical director for STA

The Structural Timber Association (STA) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Paul Newman as Technical Director; a pivotal role for the association in supporting sustainable construction through the increased use of structural timber across housing, public sector and commercial sectors.

Bringing more than 30 years’ of experience within the timber and construction industries to the role – most of which were spent in senior technical and leadership positions – this appointment further strengthens the STA’s strong reputation for technical knowledge and expertise.

Having completed his education with a PhD from Imperial College and spending a short period of time lecturing at London Guildhall University, Paul joined what is now known as BM TRADA and spent 12 years working on a wide range of timber-related research and consultancy projects. During that time Paul garnered an extensive knowledge and personal interest in timber frame technology, leading him to his next role, where he spent 17 years working within the timber frame and structural insulated panel businesses of the Kingspan group.

Paul said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Structural Timber Association at such a critical time in the industry, when there is a clear opportunity and appetite for significant growth in the use of timber-based methods in construction – most notably within housing, where timber frame has the existing capacity to deliver 100,000 homes per year. I hope that my experience and varied skill set will allow me to make a valuable contribution to our members, enabling early collaboration at the design stage, and through every stage of the supply chain.”

Paul’s appointment is further evidence of the STA’s commitment to moving the industry dialogue from ‘why’ to ‘how’ when it comes to building in timber and leading on innovation. To support in this effort, the STA recently launched the Time for Timber hub – a digital resource of information and advice to those interested in building in structural timber.

Containing guidance on how to plan, design, cost and build in structural timber, the STA is also developing a series of How To guides that will provide practical advice on making the transition to using timber.

For more information on the STA, visit: https://timefortimber.org/