Giving back, the TRADA University Challenge
As a nationally successful company, we want to give back, whether that’s locally or nationally, and at Arnold Laver our corporate responsibility is high on our list of priorities. We are committed to protecting the environment with our procedures and processes, and we remain passionate about promoting the use of timber within the construction industry.
Early in 2020, in what has turned out to be an extraordinary year for us all, we became a major sponsor of the TRADA University Challenge 2020, which neatly combines elements of many of our corporate responsibility goals. Arnold Laver Social Initiatives
What is TRADA?
TRADA (the Timber Research and Development Association) is an international membership organisation dedicated to inspiring and informing best practice design, specification and use of wood in the built environment and related fields. In a nutshell, it promotes the use of wood and timber within the construction industry. TRADA prides itself on providing independent, authoritative design and technical guidance to members and Arnold Laver is a major industry member. Find out more here TRADA
What is the TRADA University Challenge 2020
Arnold Laver and TRADA share a passion to inspire people to build high quality constructions in wood. We also share a philosophy of inspiring young people to widen their knowledge of how timber is integral and beneficial to the built environment.
By joining forces with TRADA as a sponsor, Arnold Laver is widening and sharing knowledge of the industry, encouraging young people to learn the skills to potentially forge a career, while raising the profile of timber in construction.
TRADA’s University Challenge 2020 asked students to design sustainable community housing using timber in multi-disciplinary groups of six. 60 students from across the country descended on Cardiff University for an intense period of collaboration in February this year.
The 10 teams competed for cash prizes and the accolade of winning the TRADA University Challenge. Aimed at final year undergraduate students of architecture, architectural technology, engineering, quantity surveying and landscape architecture, the challenge enables students to interact with timber industry forerunners and design professionals, while gaining valuable practical experience.
With the environment and sustainability a shared ethos Arnold Laver and TRADA, this year the challenge for these intrepid students was to design timber community housing that is low-carbon, energy and water efficient, climate resilient, healthy and desirable.
Fingers on the buzzer …
Thankfully no one needs to come up with a costed plan, including all of the above, within a 48 hour period, but the Challenge is a true test and a learning curve for students.
And the eventual winners were ….. Kyle Crossley from Leeds Beckett University, Ryan Jessop from the University of Hertfordshire, Aslinn Aijian Zha from Cardiff University, Kai Yusaf Chelliah from the University of Bristol, Kat Cookes from the University of Gloucestershire and Aaron Shaw from Sheffield Hallam University. Well done to them all. Watch the video here University Challenge Video and read about the winners here The winners 2020