Health, Wellbeing and the Offsite Revolution

WoodFest Newcastle invites you to explore timber design from 10-14 December. Choose your events and book your space. Thanks to all our event partners, this is what we have on offer for you:

Factory Tour: Egger - 10 December, 10.00-11.30am

Enjoy a guided tour of wood-based materials manufacturer, Egger’s site in Hexham. Last 2 places remaining! Book here.

Event: Healthy Buildings / Healthy Cities - 10 December, 5.30-8.30pm

How can the built environment enhance health and wellbeing? What does design for health & wellbeing look like, which role does planning take, how to deliver healthy buildings in healthy places in the current environment? Book here.

Programme

5.30pm Registration & networking – exhibition on timber design

6.00pm Input presentations

• Wellbeing, residential design and healthy homes, Oliver G.F. Jones, Ryder Architecture

• NHS Healthy New Towns – a new type of healthy homes and developments, David Birkbeck, Design for Homes

• Designing and delivering policies for healthy places and communities: making better use of green and living infrastructure, Alister Scott, Northumbria University

6.45pm Panel debate with speakers and Neil Wilkinson, Gateshead City Council

7.30pm Drinks reception & networking – exhibition on timber design

8.30pm end

Site Visit: Shawm House - 11 December, 10-11.30am

Designed by Newcastle-based MawsonKerr Architects, the timber home in North Northumberland won four regional RIBA awards, a national RIBA award and was shortlisted for Grand Designs ‘House of the Year’ in 2017. This is a rare opportunity to hear the homeowner’s story, experience the house and learn more about future SHAWM projects. Book here.

Event: Offsite construction - a solution for future homes in the North East? - 12 December, 5.30-8.30pm

Offsite construction has proven performance and reduced costs, it increases design quality and precision, it reduces waste in the construction process and can be designed for disassembly and reuse - an advantageous construction method ready for the circular economy. Homes England's recently strategic plan supports the use of MMC. A silver bullet for delivery of the homes we need?

Join our expert speakers to discuss how offsite construction could boost housing in the NorthEast. Book here.

Programme

5.30pm Registration & networking

6.00pm Keynote presentation by Amanda Keeton, Senior Specialist Accelerated Delivery, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber at Homes England

6.30pm Panel debate with Amanda Keeton, Homes England; Ian Crow, Ryder Architecture; Neil Murphy, TOWN; Steve Wightman, Urban Splash Modular

7.30pm Drinks reception & networking

8.30pm end

Exhibition: Health, Wellbeing & the Offsite Revolution. Exploring Modern Timber Design - 10-14 December, 9.00am-5.00pm

The exhibition showcases inspiring modern timber design that addresses two key concerns; providing healthy buildings in healthy places and driving the design and construction quality agenda through the use of MMC. 

On display are 15 award-winning projects covering a range of sectors from health to education to commercial to residential buildings. Discover tall timber buildings pushing material boundaries in metropolitan areas; explore interiors and structures designed to biophilic principles; learn more about community-led projects and custom build housing using timber solutions; enjoy projects that simply fascinate by their design.

Includes works by dRMM, Foster & Partner, Hawkins/Brown, Karakusevic Carson, Mawson Kerr, Mole Architects, Reiach and Hall, Ryder Architecture, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects, TDO/George Clarke, Waugh Thistleton.

Open to the public from 10-14 December, 9am-5pm, at Cooper's Newcastle. Closed 13 December from 12 noon. 

Conference: Superwood! - 14 December, 9.00am-4.45pm

Looking at how forestry and timber can drive a low carbon economy, the conversation will explore the opportunities for increasing forestry in the North East and the lessons that can be learned from Scotland.

Speakers include Paul Brennan, MEP for the North East, Adam James from Ryder Architecture, Councillor Peter Jackson, leader of Northumberland County Council, Dr Dan Ridley-Ellis from Edinburgh Napier University, Beccy Speight from the Woodland Trust, Neil Sutherland from Makar, Rob Allen from citu, Stuart Goodall from Confor, Simon Hart from Egger Forestry and Christiane Lellig from Wood for Good.

Almost sold out. Book here.

Thank you to our partners!

WoodFest Newcastle is organised in collaboration with regional partners Constructing Excellence North East, Confor, Egger, James Latham, Mawson Kerr, RIBA North East, and Ryder Architecture.

Book your place for the WoodFest Newcastle events here.