[Teaching] Brick to Timber: A Structural Shift in Building Technology Education at ULiège

We just made a structural shift in how we teach building technology in Belgium. And it changes everything. In 2025, for the first time in our Building Technology course at ULiège, we reversed a century-old logic:

👉 Timber construction is no longer “alternative”, it is now the primary system we teach 👉 Traditional brick and concrete become secondary references. This is not pedagogical experimentation. It is in alignment with reality.

🌲 From brick logic → timber logic

Belgium has been historically shaped by heavy masonry culture. Students used to start with: • cavity walls • concrete slabs • masonry detailing. Now they start with: • timber frame walls (OSB-based systems) • CLT structures • dry, layered, reversible assemblies

Because timber is not just a material. It is a different construction philosophy: • precision instead of tolerance • dry assembly instead of wet processes • sequencing instead of stacking • reversibility instead of permanence

📊 A market shift we cannot ignore

We are approaching a critical threshold: 👉 By 2030, 20–30% of new construction in Europe is expected to be timber-based. This is no longer marginal. It is a systemic transition of the construction sector. And education must move first, not last.

✏️ How we teach it differently

This shift forced us to redesign not only content, but methods of representation:

1️⃣ Drawing logic evolves → From heavy sections to layered systems (structure, airtightness, insulation)

2️⃣ Detailing becomes system-based → From isolated nodes to continuous performance envelopes

3️⃣ 3D modeling becomes essential.

Students model: • assembly sequences • interfaces between systems • constructability constraints. Not just geometry, but how buildings are actually built

🧪 The exam tells the story

This year, the exam was entirely based on timber construction. Not as an option. Not as a niche. As the reference system.

🌍 Why this transition is happening now

We are anticipating what regulation will soon enforce: 👉 Belgian EPBD is shifting toward GHG emissions instead of primary energy. Which means: • materials matter more than ever • embodied carbon becomes central • construction systems define climate impact. Timber is not a trend. It is a carbon strategy.

🧠 We structure the course around 5 principles

Performance before form

Layer logic (independent but coordinated systems)

Reversibility & circularity

Constructability

Scale integration

⚠️ The uncomfortable truth

👉 What we taught 10 years ago is no longer sufficient. 👉 What students learn today must anticipate 2030–2050 realities

🎯 A question to educators and practitioners

Are you still teaching how buildings were built or how they must be built under carbon constraints?

This shift is already happening. Education is just catching up.

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#TimberConstruction #CLT #BuildingTechnology #CircularConstruction #LowCarbonDesign #EPBD #ArchitectureEducation #EngineeringEducation #SBDLab #ULiege