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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
Not mentioned is the reality that wooden houses can be (and are) pre-fabricated in factories. This leads to on-site erection in one-day. This is a fact because I know a chap in Belgium who has one. It took one day to put it together and connect all the services. This approach leands itself to locations such as Ukraine – which will need to rebuild post-war. Furthermore, there are plenty of good examples of using bamboo as contruction material in Central America – replacing concrete breeze blocks and corrugated iron – resulitng in a house that is much cooler and zero carbon.
Mike, you make a very important point. I’m originally from Canada and we largely have timber construction and more and more there are pre-fabricated buildings from factories (my sister-in-law’s place for one). The important point is sustainable forestry. I think there is a future but it has to be well planned and thought out.
I agree 100%. Of course one can also use recovered timber (of which there is a great deal) – which takes the pressure off using forests. No reason why this could not work – just needs imagination and – with respect to timber sourcing – very careful management and control. (& I know Arthur when he was in Bx).
Absolutely, one can use recovered timber. My father built our family home (now sold) from an old barracks that he dismantled. But where we lived, the forestry company was American. The wood had to be transported about 300 km or so to the US and then it had to be re-shipped back to us if we wanted to buy it. Nuts! Hopefully that sort of practice has stopped. It was quite a while ago.
The great supporters of buildings being pre fabricated, usually in a single location, should logically be organised labour. It is a lot easier to recruit and service union membership in one permanent location , than it is with small specialist ( and more generalist) teams moving from site to site.
Which is how most European buildings are built currently.
Someone should be explaining this to the labour movement.