WELSH MODULAR BUILDING SYSTEM PROMOTED ON WORLD STAGE
November 3, 2008
An award-winning modular building system for affordable housing that uses sustainable Welsh wood was in the world spotlight at a green building seminar in Rome to celebrate European Forestry Week.
David Jenkins, Director of Coed Cymru based at Tregynon, near Newtown, was invited to address delegates from around the world at the event organised jointly by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the European Forestry Commission.
Delegates were keen to hear about Ty Unnos, or house in a night translated into English, a project that has been developed over the past two years by Coed Cymru in partnership with The Welsh School of Architecture and Bangor University.
Funded by the Countryside Council for Wales and Wood Knowledge Wales, a Wales Forest Business Partnership initiative, the project's mission is to develop a system of high performance affordable housing based on the properties of home-grown timber. Welsh softwood is used to create box beams for the building frame and then pre-insulated infill panels with voids for windows and doors are attached.
The first demonstration of the single storey Ty Unnos portal frame system was displayed at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff in August and a two storey version won an award at the Interbuild 2008 Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham last week.
Ty Unnos, which is being manufactured by Oswestry manufacturing company Elements Europe, won the Interbuild Award for innovation in offsite construction.
Referring to his visit to Rome, Mr Jenkins said: "The seminar gave me an opportunity to explain the history and translation of Ty Unnos and the original brief from the Countryside Council for Wales to investigate the scope for using home grown Welsh softwoods in affordable housing for the first time.
"I also spoke about the work of our partners, including Elements Europe and Cowley Timberwork of Lincoln. There was a great deal of interest and we have been asked to produce an article for a journal in Italy where we are already working with one of the national parks on a timber construction project.
"It's amazing that from a standing start two years ago Ty Unnos is now being presented on a world stage and winning awards."
Work on the first building in Wales to use the Ty Unnos system, an education and visitor centre in Ebbw Vale, is due to begin in December.
For more information about Ty Unnos visit www.coedcymru.org.uk/tyunnos.htm.
Established back in 1985 as a public sector partnership, Coed Cymru has instigated more than 6,000 woodland projects in Wales, half of which are farm woodlands. The company, which works with around 100 Welsh manufacturers, began product development work on utilising Welsh hardwoods in 1990 and has successfully developed outdoor furniture, laminated flooring, windows, doors, cladding and wood chips for fuel.
David Jenkins, Coed Cymru's director, with a Ty Unnos model.
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For more information, please contact Greener Homes and Buildings on 0845 6024087, David Jenkins at Coed Cymru, 01686 650777 or Duncan Foulkes, public relations consultant, on 01686 650818.
Coed Cymru, The Old Sawmill,
Tregynon, Newtown,
Powys SY16 3PL
Tel 01686 650 777
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