This Regenerative Collaborative South Africa (RCSA) webinar will explore how timber can unlock smarter, low-carbon urban densification.
As cities grapple with land scarcity, climate change and the urgent need to decarbonise the built environment, urban densification is no longer optional – but how we densify matters. This webinar explores how tall timber and mass timber construction can unlock a new, regenerative approach to urban densification, enabling cities to grow vertically while reducing embodied carbon, construction disruption and resource use.
Using the Cresta Grande Hotel in Cape Town as a practical case study, architect and tall timber specialist Sebastian Bildau (Atelier Bildau) and structural engineers William van Dugteren and Damian Mocke (SMEC) will share insights into adaptive reuse, timber-led extensions, and the engineering strategies that allow new floors to be added with minimal structural upgrades. The session will unpack how lightweight mass timber, prefabrication, and biophilic design can transform existing buildings into vibrant, mixed-use urban assets that support climate resilience, biodiversity and community life.
Hosted by the RCSA this conversation is for architects, engineers, developers, planners and sustainability practitioners interested in future-fit cities, low-carbon construction and regenerative urban design.
Abstract based on original source.
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