Historic buildings are part of our built environment. They are a record of how construction and use of materials have evolved and provide excellent opportunities for regeneration of urban areas. Moreover, re-using these buildings and as much of the material within, contributes to the Green Revolution. Currently, there is tremendous growth in green construction and as Bob Dylan once said, “the times they are a changing.” The design and construction industries are focussing on reducing a building’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, with phrases such as ‘circular economy’ and ‘sustainability’ capturing the zeitgeist, what better example of carbon emissions reduction is there than re-using existing buildings? Some of the most sustainable materials used in a refurbishment project may be the ones already in it. Forest and wood-based industries can play an important role. Compared with other construction materials, wood and wood-based products are low in embodied energy. Trees sequester carbon in wood as they grow, and once converted into timber products, this carbon remains locked-up over the life of the product. Timber is the ultimate renewable material and its reuse within an existing building can sit within the circular economy by ensuring its retention or reuse. With ever increasing energy and resources going into timber production, the construction industry should consider how to reuse and recycle timber, which in turn will reduce consumption of natural resources, even if they are sustainable. A holistic approach to the investigation of timber within an existing building, using a combination of non-destructive survey methods, applying visual grading rules to determine strength, and undertaking repairs with the minimum of intervention, (ideally using recovered timber from within the building) can result in the retention and re-use of much of the original material. This exerts less pressure on natural resources and reduces carbon footprints. Go timber!

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