Assembling the mass timber adaptation in SA
By Leon Louw
PERSONALITY PROFILE
Back in South Africa after working on various projects in Europe , Shaun Forster decided to activate his ‘ trust in wood ’ and establish a timber assembly business in his home country .
Timber iQ spoke to Shaun Forster about his passion for wood
and how his CLT experiences have moulded his future plans .
Shaun , timber is your passion . Before lockdown you returned to South Africa after being involved with a few timber projects overseas . Tell us more . About four years ago , I was given an unexpected invitation to work with Cross Laminated Timber ( CLT ), which I had no hesitation in accepting . I committed to the journey , a labour of love , which I realised would carry some short-term sacrifices . As they say , luck happens when preparation meets opportunity . This happened to me over lockdown – tangible business opportunities started to present themselves as people actively looked for alternative building solutions to extend or adapt their living and working spaces . So , my time in Europe was purely focused on maximising my exposure to and working knowledge of CLT , specifically the assembly phase .
The most recent project that I was involved in was in Romania where we worked on the construction of the biggest CLT timber structure in Eastern Europe for a tech corporate office . During my time in Italy , I met and worked with one of the pioneer assemblers in Rome , which was a fascinating and privileged experience , as they were the first adopters of CLT .
Prior to that , I worked on a timber school project in the outskirts of Rome and closer to the city , and erected houses in which hay was used as insulation material . During this time I got to experience and understand the CLT supply chain and connect with leading suppliers and producers in Germany and Italy . I also completed some technical , CLT and Laminated Veneer Lumber ( LVL ) training at the Rotho School .
Training and skills development are a critical parts of the value chain . I got to meet with higher education institutions and training centres during this time and this knowledge transfer is taking place with two universities in South Africa , both in the Cape . It was a well-rounded experience which provided invaluable insights and a practical context that I am now able to apply in South Africa . What struck me most is that a business model as technically precise and systemically integrated as CLT cannot be effectively set-up without trust and collaboration in the value-chain and a deep respect and affinity for wood as a natural asset . I come from a family of skilled carpenters so the love of wood is , as they say , in my blood . I am most comfortable working with teams even when language and other barriers present personal challenges , as was the case working in Europe . One has to embrace change and diversity when working with innovative solutions . With this mindset and being South African , I turned the constraints into a learning opportunity . I now look forward to sharing this knowledge in South Africa through AdaptAbuild .
ALL PHOTOS BY SHAUN FORSTER
Shaun Forster inside a three-storey CLT structure .
Where does your love for timber come from , and have you done any projects in Africa ? I have always been curious and intrigued with wood . My dad is a carpenter so my connection with wood started at a very young age . As youngster , I went on to build a patten and mould-making business with my father , which developed my manufacturing , operations , and supply chain experience . As a mountain-biker , I got to travel internationally to represent South Africa , but I knew that my desire was to work on projects across the world one day . After having sold my cycling retail business , things led me back to using my hands and I found myself working on new build projects on game lodges in South Africa , Zambia and Mozambique , including working with timber decking , barn building as well as tented camps projects . In 2016 I supervised a wooden private residence project in the Southern Cape before returning to Port Elizabeth . In May 2017 , I received a call from a visionary leader in the Eastern Cape who had been tracking my building project work , joined the dots and identified me as the ideal candidate to work with a Europe-based investor to evaluate and position the CLT story in South Africa , including considering concept building . Thus began my CLT story .
It is great that you have gained experience and have knowledge about the timber industry and both Europe and in Africa . How different are the mindsets between the two , and how has your experience moulded your future plans ? The mindsets are significantly different , only because the industry is well-established in Europe where timber is the preferred construction
www . timberiq . co . za // DECEMBER 2020 / JANUARY 2021 29