At The King's University, the new Centre for Excellence in the Sciences (CES) celebrated its grand opening this month.
As students climb the new staircase, their hands run along a wooden railing. They can see it. They can feel it.
We've always known wood was beautiful. But we hadn't fully considered what else it had to offer.
When a new project begins, the team is eager to get started. Our BIM team sets up the models, and architects and engineers get to work on the design.
The conversation often goes something like this:
“Can we build with wood?”
“Maybe. Let's compare options.”
We consider cost, spans, delivery times, and past projects. Often, steel checks the boxes.
“Can we at least have some wood?”
“If the budget allows.”
Wood has structural strengths and limitations, but its beauty can easily become an optional extra.
Recently, we read Wood and Wellbeing. The report describes a study where participants completed a tiring task, took a break, and tried again. Those who rested in a room with exposed wood showed improved attention afterward.
It made us reconsider what we might be overlooking.
How people feel and focus in a space is harder to quantify than the cost of steel or delivery timelines. But that doesn't make it less important.
Wood needs a stronger voice in the conversation, right from the start.
Want a closer look at The King's University's new Centre for Excellence in the Sciences? Watch the grand opening video here!
