Timber iQ February - March 2018 // Issue: 36 | Page 3

EDITOR'S NOTE Be inspired A belated welcome back to all our loyal Timber iQ readers. I hope you’ve had a great holiday season – whether you were one of the lucky ones who went away or whether you enjoyed a much needed ‘stay-cation’. The general sentiment regarding 2017 seems to be ‘we don’t talk about 2017’. It was a tough year, both for the economy and the construction sector as a whole. By the end, optimism was hard to come by and many seemed to be holding on by a thread to make it to the annual shut down… But we survived, one way or another. And despite the challenging times, our industry is persistent. I’m hesitant to declare that 2018 will be any easier. There is still a lot of uphill on the horizon. But this doesn’t mean that it’s all doom and gloom... Things are happening! It’s almost time for the annual HWZ Wood Conference and if last year is anything to go by, you better get there early to reserve your seat! And if that’s not enough to inspire you, look at some of the amazing projects that have been going up lately – locally and abroad. The impressive Atterbury head office in Pretoria is a beautiful showcase of what is possible with timber (page 16) while the futuristic Eye-D in Istanbul boasts the ultimate human experience space (page 22). But it’s not just about timber buildings, there is so much more you can do with timber – such as furniture. Our design feature this month looks at what’s possible in terms of timber furniture and how it brings warmth to a room (page 34). We’ve all had our fun over the holidays and now it’s time to get back to work. But for some, the ‘festive’ season continues … We look at the dangers of substance abuse in the workplace on page 46. So, what does your Ilana Koegelenberg 2018 look like? Managing editor SEND US YOUR EVENTS Email: Ilana Koegelenberg | [email protected]