Andrew Oriss, CEO of the Structural Timber Association, explains how the UK government’s 2025 Construction Products Reform Green Paper will reshape timber specification – from risk-based regulation and strengthened certification to digital product data and sustainability reporting – and what architects and specifiers need to know to stay compliant and competitive
The UK government’s 2025 Construction Products Reform Green Paper represents a pivotal moment for architects and specifiers working with timber and timber frame systems.
Design professionals will be at the forefront of implementing these changes, and understanding their implications will be crucial for delivering compliant, high-performance projects that meet both regulatory requirements and client expectations.
Risk-based regulation: Smarter specification decisions
The proposed shift towards risk-based regulation offers architects greater clarity when specifying timber systems.
Rather than applying blanket restrictions, the new framework will recognise that different timber applications carry different risk profiles. When specifying timber frame for low-rise residential projects, architects will have clearer guidance on what is appropriate compared to specifying mass timber systems for larger commercial buildings.
This nuanced approach will enable evidence-based design decisions, moving beyond outdated perceptions to focus on actual performance data.
Enhanced testing and certification: What this means for projects
The strengthened testing and certification regime will provide architects and specifiers with more reliable product performance data. Improved quality assurance processes across the timber supply chain will give greater confidence in the products being recommended.
The enhanced conformity systems will ensure that only fit-for-purpose products and systems reach projects, reducing the risk of performance issues and protecting professional reputations.
When specifying timber products, architects and specifiers will be able to rely on more robust certification schemes, with clearer documentation of product performance characteristics. This will streamline specification processes and provide stronger evidence for design decisions during planning and building control submissions.
Sustainability: A competitive advantage in design
Timber’s inherent sustainability credentials align perfectly with the Green Paper’s emphasis on environmental performance. As net-zero targets become mandatory considerations in design briefs, specifying timber systems positions projects at the forefront of low-carbon construction. The enhanced regulatory framework will provide clearer metrics and documentation to demonstrate the environmental benefits of timber to clients and planning authorities.
Design professionals will have access to improved life cycle analysis data, forest certification information, and carbon reporting tools, making it easier to justify timber specification in sustainability assessments and green building certifications.
This regulatory backing strengthens the case for timber in competitive tender situations and helps differentiate architectural designs in the marketplace.
Supply chain accountability: Protecting projects
The extended accountability to distributors, merchants and importers will reduce the risk of substandard products entering projects. Stronger regulatory controls will increase transparency in the supply chain, enabling architects and specifiers to specify with confidence and reducing the potential for costly remedial work due to non-compliant materials.
This enhanced traceability also supports professional duty of care, providing clearer audit trails for material specifications and reducing liability risks associated with product performance failures.
Innovation pathways: Expanding design options
The Green Paper creates clearer pathways for innovative timber products and systems to gain approval. For architects designing medium-rise and high-performance buildings, this will mean expanded options for specifying advanced engineered timber products such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber (LVL). The streamlined approval processes will bring new solutions to market faster, giving practices access to cutting-edge timber technologies for ambitious projects.
Digital integration: Streamlined project management
The emphasis on clear, accessible product data aligns with the construction industry’s digital transformation. As BIM becomes standard practice, improved product information requirements will make it easier to integrate accurate timber product data into models. QR-coded product passports and verified databases will streamline specification processes and improve project coordination with contractors and suppliers.
This digital approach will reduce the administrative burden of maintaining accurate product information throughout project lifecycles and improve the quality of information handed over to clients and facilities management teams.
Fire safety: Evidence-based design confidence
The Green Paper’s approach to fire safety will provide clearer frameworks for specifying timber systems in fire-sensitive applications. Rather than relying on outdated assumptions, architects and specifiers will have access to robust testing data and performance evidence that demonstrates how modern timber systems perform in real-world conditions. This evidence-based approach will support confident specification while meeting stringent safety requirements.
International alignment: Future-proofing practice
As post-Brexit standards evolve, the alignment with European and international timber standards will help future-proof specifications. Understanding these developments will be crucial for practices working on international projects or using imported timber products. The reformed standards framework will provide clearer guidance on technical equivalence and mutual recognition, reducing complexity in cross-border projects.
Skills development: Professional competence
The enhanced regulatory framework will require updated technical knowledge across timber systems, compliance requirements and sustainability reporting. Investment in continuing professional development in these areas will be essential for maintaining competence and delivering compliant designs. This knowledge investment will also differentiate practices in an increasingly competitive market.
The strategic advantage for forward-thinking practices
For architects and specifiers, the Green Paper represents an opportunity to position timber construction as a premium, high-performance solution rather than an alternative option. By understanding and embracing these regulatory changes, practices can lead clients toward timber solutions that deliver superior environmental performance, regulatory compliance, and long-term value.
The future regulatory landscape will favour practices that demonstrate technical competence in sustainable, digitally integrated and rigorously tested construction systems.
Timber construction, when properly specified and expertly applied, offers a clear pathway to meeting these emerging requirements while delivering exceptional architectural outcomes.
The road ahead for timber construction
The future of construction will be low-carbon, digitally enabled, and stringently regulated. Timber, when responsibly sourced, properly tested, and expertly applied, is ready to meet that future head-on.
The Structural Timber Association provides extensive technical guidance to support architects and specifiers in delivering fire-safe and moisture-resilient timber construction.
Key resources include:
- Design guides to separating distances during construction, with versions timber frame and CLT buildings, providing risk categories and mitigation strategies for different building configurations.
- STA Volume 1 Pattern Book: Structural timber buildings fire safety in use, peer-reviewed by BRE Global, demonstrating fire resistance performance for common UK timber frame systems.
- A comprehensive seven-step moisture management guidance aligned with the RIBA Plan of Work, providing clear responsibilities and practical actions from design through to long-term monitoring.
These resources, grounded in scientific data and practical site experience, help architects and specifiers make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and discharge legal obligations in line with CDM regulations 2015.
All technical guidance is available at: www.structuraltimber.co.uk/libraries
Postscript
Andrew Oriss is chief executive officer at the Structural Timber Association
