Week 2 - 'Pain Points in Timber Construction in Malaysia' Forum Afterthoughts

 Following the forum, I started contemplating the issue of pain points in timber construction in the modern day. 

While timber is one of the oldest and most flexible materials used by humans, in terms of design and function, it has gone somewhat out of fashion recently with its contemporary competitors, such as concrete, steel, polycarbonate, and other manmade materials.

This could come down to a multitude of reasons, like the lack of enthusiasm regarding integrating timber's rustic and natural look into hyper-modern styles, the stringent laws and regulations surrounding the use of timber as a construction material, the relatively higher cost of natural timber, the decrease of timber specialists in the industry, among many other reasons.

These disadvantages could easily overshadow the many advantages of timber, with it being a sustainable and regeneratable source, with the appropriate characteristics to adapt to the local climate and needs of the designers, the intricate nature of detailing feasible, and the stunning touch it adds to any design in need of a more humane approach in terms of style.

Malaysia, especially, is one country that has the perfect base to allow the come-again rise of timber as a main construction material, as pure timber structures are held in a special place in society, and the appreciation of the material has only increased with the increasing scarcity of it. It is encouraged that young designers and architects involve timber specialists and include timber-oriented elements into their designs, to maintain the ever-increasing pace of timber-appreciation in the country.