Expert insights on sustainable timber architecture with Waugh Thistleton, Russwood & Abodo
On a sunny Wednesday evening in May, architects, designers, and specifiers gathered at Waugh Thistleton’s Shoreditch studio for Quiz & Fizz – a collaborative panel discussion and timber-themed quiz hosted by Waugh Thistleton Architects, Russwood, and Abodo. With fizz in hand and a buzzing London atmosphere for Clerkenwell Design Week 2025, the event opened up candid conversations on the challenges, innovations, and future of sustainable timber architecture. From fire regulations to digital manufacturing and forest certification, the evening tackled tough topics with clarity, nuance – and plenty of expertise.
Our panel
Moderated by Claudia Walton from Waugh Thistleton, the panel featured:
- Rebecca Sawcer | Associate, Waugh Thistleton – Leading large-scale commercial and education projects, an advocate for the use of mass timber
- Bruce Bell | Founder & CEO, Facit Homes – Championing digital manufacturing and integrated timber construction
- Jodie Wight | Interior Project Liaison Technician, Russwood – Representing Russwood and Abodo, offering technical guidance on interior timber specification
- Katie Terlecki | Associate Director, TP Bennett – Discussing fire safety, testing, and client perception on large-scale projects.
Together, the panel explored how to responsibly and confidently build with timber in a changing regulatory and environmental context.
Fire, risk and regulation: designing with timber
The conversation opened with the realities of designing with timber in a post-Grenfell landscape. Katie highlighted how perception continues to shape material choice:
“Regulations have made it more difficult to use timber on high-rise buildings… one of the biggest barriers is clients themselves—often influenced by insurers who say, ‘Don’t use timber.’”
The solution? Education—starting early.
“The role of the architect is to educate the client—to help them understand what timber looks like long term, what it costs to maintain, and whether it’s right for their project,” she added. “That also means engaging early with suppliers like Russwood to get the right timber and finish from the start.”
Rebecca clarified the point that while risk exists, it’s manageable with the right expertise:
“I don’t think it’s fair to say timber is inherently high-risk. The problem is more that people don’t always know how to design for the risks… The biggest risk is a badly designed timber building giving the material a poor reputation.”
Waugh Thistleton has contributed to both the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook and the Commercial Timber Guidebook, helping insurers and designers align on risk management.
Jodie offered insight into solutions like Burnblock, a natural pressure-impregnated fire treatment used on Russwood products, which meets Euroclass B without harmful chemicals.
The takeaway? Understanding, not avoidance, is the path to safe timber design.
Maintenance and client expectations
Jodie addressed one of the most common misconceptions: timber is too high-maintenance.
“With flooring, people worry it won’t hold up, but we use hard wax oils which allow for spot repairs without sanding the whole floor… It’s easy to maintain as long as people know how to do it.” Adding, “We always try to recommend the most low-maintenance, high-performance option. It’s about finding what suits each client’s level of expected upkeep.”
From finishes that allow for spot repairs to thermally modified timber that improves dimensional stability, well-detailed products can overcome the most common objections.
Manufacturing innovation: why digital matters
Bruce made the case for digital transformation:
“What you model is what gets made… Fragmentation is a big issue. Digital manufacturing empowers architects and improves quality.”
By integrating design, manufacture and delivery, companies like Facit Homes reduce construction risk and improve client confidence – key to scaling timber in the mainstream.
Circularity, carbon and the ‘urban forest’
Rebecca returned to timber’s wider value in sustainable architecture:
“Working with timber pushes circular thinking… We’re talking a lot in our office about designing for reuse and longevity—and that conversation often starts with timber.”
She noted:
“We sometimes call it the ‘urban forest’ in our office… The messaging is there: timber is a sustainable option in most situations. But we need to find better ways to quantify that and allow clients to actually capitalize on it.”
Important questions: FSC, forests, and certification
The Q&A surfaced big-picture concerns about timber sourcing. An audience member raised concern about the sustainability of using timber, and the risk of depleting forests.
Rebecca responded:
“Yes, deforestation is a huge global issue, but that’s primarily driven by agricultural clear-cutting, not construction… Everything we specify is FSC or PEFC certified… we need to be thoughtful about which species we use, and make sure the forests we rely on can keep up with those changes.”
Bruce added:
“It is easy to not specify FSC or PEFC-certified timber. Mistakes slip through… We need to make certified timber a strict, enforced policy.”
There was broad agreement that certification is the best tool available in the UK—while other countries, like Germany, rely on embedded forestry regulation.
What’s next for modular timber?
Bruce was candid about the struggles of modular timber housing:
“People replicate on-site practices in factories—with no quality control, just a more expensive environment… That’s not solving anything.”
Instead, he called for adaptable, scalable systems, driven by new procurement models – not just big factories.
Designing with purpose
As the discussion closed, a clear theme emerged: for timber to thrive in our built environment, we need a joined-up approach – from design and detailing to procurement, policy, and communication.
Katie summed it up:
“The barriers to timber aren’t always technical—they’re psychological. If we want to build better, we have to change the conversation.”
Why this matters
This event supports the ARB 2025 Core Competency for Environmental Sustainability, encouraging architects to lead on low-carbon design and responsible material choices.
At Russwood, we’re here to help you do just that – through expert advice, certified products, and thoughtful detailing that helps timber perform beautifully, safely and sustainably.
A huge thank you to our brilliant panellists—Claudia, Rebecca, Bruce, Jodie and Katie—for sharing their time, experience and insight, and to everyone who joined us for the evening. Your honest questions and enthusiasm made Quiz & Fizz a fantastic event.
Highlights Gallery
Looking for more timber insight?
Join us for If Timber Could Talk on 10th June as part of the London Festival of Architecture. Expect fun, networking, and another round of real timber talk.