Structural timber as an alternative building material, what it takes

According to Simon Bosch, a wood engineer and carpenter from Fair Ventures, a Kampala-based construction company, the use of timber for construction is low in Uganda’s real estate sector, and in places where it is used, the quality is poor. Bosch says timber is used for low-cost construction projects.

However, high-quality wood products are used to enhance the strength of the structure, including highlighting the beauty of the building in line with its design. He says this would be the best time for Ugandans to venture into wood construction because re-planted trees, from sustainable forestry projects are growing. These are providing sustainable building materials that can be used as an alternative to brick and mortar.

For now, all that is needed is to adopt better standards of timber quality, research and development of timber products. This should be upgraded for construction standards for use in the local context. In addition, the public should be sensitised about the advantages of using timber for construction.

High-quality wood products are used to enhance the strength of the structure, including highlighting the beauty of the building. (Courtesy photo)

Counting the cost

Bosch also says the use of timber for construction is still a little more expensive than it should be because most of the materials and skills needed to refine and add value to it are not readily available locally. But these, he says, can be easily developed, if the demand is right. With the right demand, he adds, the price will automatically drop, owing to the forces of demand and supply.

Jean Byamugisha, the Executive Director of the Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA) says timber usage is picking up, with modern lodges, especially those in national parks leading the pack. “Uganda is positioning herself as an ecological and environmentally sustainable tourist destination and there is some funding from development partners to support hotels that want to be more ecologically sustainable, she says. As far as costs are concerned, the amount needed depends on the size, workmanship and designs of the project.

“If one wants to build a five-star lodge purely out of wood, it will be extremely expensive, requiring design work, as well as perfectly aged and treated wood. This can be more expensive than regular building materials,” she said.

Byamugisha, however, says there are options that are less expensive, although with a less impressive quality of product, often failing to blend in with the environment. This is especially true for game and national parks, where blending with nature is a key requirement.

“Not only is it beautiful to see an environmentally-sustainable lodge deep in the heart of the national park, but it also preserves the home of the wildlife to ensure continuity of the species in the area, which ultimately results in more profits for the lodge owners,” she says. 

Although the average cost of constructing a house using timber is not yet known in Uganda, Byamugisha thinks timber could be easily adopted on a number of affordable housing projects, as the country braces for a high population growth, said to be shooting at about 3.3% per annum.

The use of timber for construction is low in Uganda’s real estate sector, and in places where it is used, the quality is poor. (Courtesy photo)

Capacity available

Moses Tiberondwa, a civil engineer from the Uganda National Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors (UNABCEC) says although Uganda has enough engineers, who can work well with wood, the national timber standard has only recently been gazetted. “There is increased interest in investment in wood processing and value addition. For instance, Easy Housing, which deals with the construction of wooden houses is a good example,” he points out.

Tiberondwa says the engineers’ body has, however, noted that the appreciation of wood, especially for housing is just picking up. He says in the wake of the fight against climate change, the absolute focus should be on wooden houses, which throughout the life cycle have a positive impact on the environment.

He warns, however, that opting for timber and wood as alternative construction materials would not guarantee cost reduction. “If we are to succeed with adopting structure timber as a construction material, we might do better if we mix timber and steel. This would be more cost-effective,” he says. 

At the moment, he suggests that training and capacity-building need to be done along the timber value chain, in addition to mindset change through awareness campaigns among the public, in order to root for adoption and demand.