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in late 2020 when students were struggling with Covid, isolation and online lectures was seen by many as foolhardy, impractical and likely to attract no entrants. But with a Zoom license for 500, over-subscribed Climate Literacy workshops and the backing of the Confederation of Timber Industries (CTI) as a major sponsor – we could but try. To meet our legally binding carbon and climate change obligations we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Construction contributes around 40% of these emissions annually, so if we design and build wisely using resources that lock in more carbon than they take to produce, such as timber; if we design for longevity and use of minimal resources; if we design with fabric first and to the energy standard of Passive House, we can make a major impact.
Riverside Sunderland is a major
regeneration site in the city centre, that stands on the edge of the Wear. Transformation is being led by Sunderland City Council to design and build a vibrant new urban quarter, with 1,000 ultra-sustainable homes. Working with the Sunderland City Council, the TTF’s North East Timber Trade Association and MOBIE, we planned the Riverside Sunderland online University Design Challenge 2021 to design, engineer, plan and cost a three-bed family home from timber and timber-based products along with an indicative masterplan for 100 homes that meet RIBA2030 Climate Challenge targets. With a certain amount of trepidation, we launched #RSUDC21 in February and invited
students from across the UK to take part in the competition to collaborate, innovate, and create future-facing designs that re- imagine how residents might live, work and play together in beautiful, low-carbon, and multi-generational housing. The response was overwhelming, with 300 students from 39 universities registered to participate and 27 inter-disciplinary teams formed. To give all our teams the best start possible, we invited 80 professionals at the forefront of sustainability to give masterclasses, which we recorded and uploaded to a dedicated YouTube channel.
Starting with the climate challenge, we addressed sustainable timber and timber products and offsite construction, carbon (operational and embodied) and how to count it, desirable homes and communities, fabric first, health and well-being, timber challenges (moisture and fire), structural engineering and concrete free foundations, procurement and costing, placemaking and future homes. Over 1,000 attended the live events and a further 2,000 have so far viewed the recordings. Throughout March, April and May we
worked with our participants and sponsors – the CTI, Accoya, Rothoblaas, the Timber Decking and Cladding Association, DesignPH, PEFC, the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, Wood for Good and BSW – to provide extra knowledge and support, often meeting online on a Friday evening in a virtual pub.
Before we knew it, June was upon us and entries flooded in. With 16 teams making
it through to the longlist, we asked Jane Anderson, Kate Blackburne, Adrian Campbell, Florence Collier, Danny Garwood, Mina Hasman, Sarah Jones-Morris, Rob Littlewood, Will Mawson, Martin Milner, James Turner, Patrick Usborne, Joe Jack Williams and the team from MOBIE to draw up a shortlist of eight teams.
In the online final, each of the eight shortlisted teams presented their entry and were then questioned by our knowledgeable and high-profile judges. The results were as follows: Highly Commended – Team R: Andrew Spence, Robert Andrew Casling-Andoniou, Sarah Warrick, and Lauren Bailey, all from Teesside University. Highly Commended – Team I: Boyang Xu, Hang Xu, Shen Zhekai, Weilin Lai, Xiao Han and Ziyu Li, all the University of Sheffield. “Team R in their presentation really pushed the boundaries with their concept of a village in the city, and their passion was evident,” said Neil Guthrie, development director (residential) of Sunderland City Council. “The scheme looked deep into the history of the city, bringing to life the traditional industries of shipbuilding and glassmaking into their scheme, these new communities, and the spaces they aimed to create. “Team I really considered the role of materials, of construction, including assembly and disassembly, amongst other technical aspects, while designing desirable homes which form a community. The methodologies and the way they sought to bridge their ►
www.ttjonline.com | September/October 2021 | TTJ
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