Timber Design: An Introduction (TED 1)

Develop your skills to utilise timber in your built environment designs, understanding criteria such as material properties, sustainability concerns, and the built environment context.

You’ll work in teams to design and build a project featuring timber-to-timber connections. By the end of the part-time four-week course you’ll have a solid understanding of the strength, flexibility, and tensile properties of timber through hands-on experience.

You'll gain a nuanced understanding of both traditional and engineered wood, enabling informed decision-making and contributions to timber design practices in the built environment.

Be confident in the quality and relevance of your learning – all of NMITE’s timber courses are endorsed by CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building), CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists) and TDUK (Timber Development UK).

Learn in an award-winning workspace

Our Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT) is among the most advanced collaborative workspaces in the UK. Based at our Construction Excellence 'Social-Value' award-winning Skylon campus, it's built to demonstrate the principles and benefits of sustainable timber construction. The building is also a ‘living lab’ with the latest sensor and monitoring technology built into its fabric.

Hybrid learning model

Enjoy in-person and online workshops

Industry-relevant learning

The course is endorsed by CIOB, CIAT and TDUK

Real-world case studies

Work on real problems from real employers

Hands-on learning

Benefit from NMITE’s unique ‘learn by doing’ approach

Who's this course for?

This course is for those interested in timber design in the built environment. This could be construction project managers, planners, people working in policy or government, students, architects, architectural technologists, engineers, salespeople, designers, apprentices, and even carpenters who are keen to have a deeper understanding of the subject.

What you'll learn

Understand the principles of timber design construction and engineering methods in the context of a built environment studio
Create an artefact that responds to design briefs - design a unique timber-to-timber connection that you will create in our workshop
Situate designed artefacts within the sustainable built environment. As part of a team project, use your connection to design and build a larger structure
Utilise technology to produce and communicate designs
Demonstrate how the design process can be applied to future work

Transforming the construction sector

Courses are delivered from our NMITE Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT). The centre is transforming the construction sector through world-class education, research and industry collaboration. CATT will play a crucial role in positioning the UK as a leader in sustainable construction, aligning with the climate emergency and UN Sustainable Development Goals, fostering expertise in modern methods of construction, and ensuring access to renewable resources.

Image credit: Speller Metcalfe

Course details

This course is delivered at level 4, which is equivalent to the first year of a degree. It equates to 60 degree-level credits and can contribute to the CPD credits required by several industry organisations.

•    Work in teams to create a unique design to meet the requirements of the brief
•    As a team, create a design focused on timber-to-timber connections using limited fixings in the overall design
•    Create a design that considers the strength and flexibility of timber and solves a specific concern focused on sustainability

This course runs part-time across four weeks via online and in-person channels including live workshops as well as content in a rich virtual learning environment.
Course dates: 10 June – 3 July 2024 (you’ll receive access to the virtual learning environment and course tutor contact information on day one).
The course comprises of approximately eight hours of supported and independent work each week. This includes:
- five live online sessions: three on Wednesday afternoons (2-4pm) – two hours each; two on Friday afternoons (10am-2pm) - four hours each
- in-person sessions: 24-28 June at Skylon campus in Hereford to work individually and as teams to create your designs
- independent work via the virtual learning environment
- access to course tutors for learning support between sessions

There are no specific entry requirements. However, the course is most suitable for those with related professional experience or those undertaking some kind of built environment training or study.

In-person elements of the course take place at our award-winning (Construction Excellence ‘Social Value’ award) Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT) - among the most advanced collaborative workspaces in the UK.

Built to demonstrate the principles and benefits of cutting-edge timber construction, the building is also a ‘living lab’ with the latest sensor and monitoring technology built into its fabric. This provides industry with unique real-world building performance data.

Address: NMITE, Centre for Advanced Timber Technology, Skylon campus, Canary Drive, Hereford, HR2 6JT

The campus has free parking outside.

The course is assessed through designs, created artefacts and a final group presentation.

£900 per learner, £600 for partner organisations
Or register for the Timber TED 1 bundle, including three courses, for £1,200

Register your interest today

Ready to apply or make an enquiry about a Timber TED course or bundle? Simply register your interest today.

Award-winning Timber TED bundles

Check out our Timber TED bundles, credited with the Accelerate to Zero Green Skills Award 2023. Endorsed by CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building), CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists) and TDUK (Timber Development UK), each course has been designed to provide you with comprehensive and flexible training to upskill and reskill for modern methods of timber construction.

View Timber TED bundles

Woodwork project from NMITE Timber TED course

Related courses

Make the most of our TED 1 bundle discount by purchasing all three TED 1 courses for £1,200. Develop your skills on our award-winning TED 1 training programme and gain valuable credits for your CPD.

Timber Sustainability: Globally Responsible Construction (TED 1)

Explore sustainable and regenerative practices within the built environment, understanding key drivers.

View Timber Sustainability (TED 1)

Timber TED course wood materials project

Timber Materials: From Source to Building Solutions (TED 1)

Develop new expertise to make confident decisions about designing and building with different timber materials.

View Timber Materials (TED 1)

Course background

This course has been designed as part of the award-winning Timber Technology, Engineering and Design 1 short course, which is now offered as a set of standalone smaller courses specifically to meet the needs of industry. The online content has been reimagined to provide the learner with a better experience and the ability to manage the time dedicated to the course more effectively and efficiently.

The course supports the CIOB corporate plan 2023-28 to ‘equip CIOB members (individual and company) with the knowledge and skills to manage and deliver the construction process in environmentally sustainable ways’ and ‘to contribute tangibly to reducing the industry skills shortage across priority skills’. The course also perfectly sits within the Government’s Timber in Construction Roadmap.

Register your interest

If you're ready to register your interest in a Timber TED course or bundle, or to ask a question, simply complete the short form below. You'll receive an application form shortly and a member of our team will answer any queries you have.