November 6, 2019

George Barnsdale is continuing its involvement in a three year pan-European research project led by the BRE, which it hopes will encourage architects to specify more sustainable timber products in construction.

ClickDesign aims to develop a performance based specification protocol to enable a software tool for architects and specifiers to use to embed service life performance specification for timber. The studies will help to increase market confidence with users for selecting wood as a reliable product and enhance an optimised performance of timber in the built environment.

The stated aims of the research are:

  • Robust forecasting of aesthetic changes on surfaces developing the kinetic and/or intensity of variation in such changes due to location, microclimate, architectural design and materials used for construction.
  • Studying spatial distribution of fungal decay and its interaction with moisture transport and resulting gradients in buildings.
  • Development of a termite/insect performance measure for the first time in Europe.
  • Robust integrated performance classification based on the whole set of external parameters – the foundation established for decay, material and integrity aspects, aesthetic limits and performance and termite/insect performance aspects.

All of this data will be made available at the click of a button, giving architects the reassurance they need to specify timber which is a much more sustainable resource than traditional construction methods.

BRE Click Design project

Currently, 18 organisations including engineers, architects, trade bodies, forest product manufacturers and public authorities are involved from 6 countries (Germany, UK, Finland, Slovenia, Norway and Sweden). George Barnsdale is currently the only UK timber windows manufacturer involved in the industry group and has also been involved in numerous research projects in the past.

Commenting on the company’s involvement, Stephen Wright said: “Research has always been at the heart of everything we do. We have spent a lot of time and resources on improving our understanding and that of the timber windows industry of the performance, longevity and optimum design of our products. The Click Design project is deeply important in terms of the drive towards using more sustainable materials in the built environment and it will give architects and specifiers the confidence to incorporate timber into their designs and specifications. We obviously want to contribute to the wider understanding of how timber performs so that our products continue to be the best they can possibly be, but this project takes it much further and covers a broader range of timber usage than just windows and doors. We are proud to be part of this and believe it will lead to a real change for the better environmentally both nationally and internationally.”

To read about some of our other research, click here.