New association for timber engineers
03.10.2022
The newly founded Swiss Timber Engineers Association of Construction - STE-AoC will strengthen Lignum as a board association from 2023. Andreas Burgherr is the first president of the new association.
On September 29, 16 leading Swiss engineering firms launched the Swiss Timber Engineers Association of Construction - STE-AoC for short - in Bern. The new organization of timber engineers is an employer specialist group of the STE, the umbrella organization of Swiss timber engineers. From 2023, STE-AoC will strengthen Lignum as a supporting association with a seat on the board. Lignum will take over the management of the office.
Over the last thirty years, the professional group of timber engineers has developed into a supporting pillar of timber construction expertise in the Swiss construction industry. The foundation of an independent organization to represent their interests reflects this. The purpose of the Swiss Timber Engineers Association of Construction (STE-AoC for short) is to safeguard the professional authority and independence of the planning companies that provide intellectual services for the built and natural environment on the basis of wood and other bio-based building materials.
The new organization aims to promote public acceptance of the widespread use of wood as a building material in the spirit of holistic, prudent and ecological responsibility. It is also committed to strengthening the Swiss timber chain, which is the reason for its membership in the statutes as a supporting association of Lignum, the Swiss timber industry. The STE-AoC promotes the activities and the quality of the services of its member companies, represents their interests and develops the profession into the future.
President of the new Swiss Timber Engineers Association of Construction is Andreas Burgherr (Timbatec Holzbauingenieure AG, far left), following the decision of the founding meeting.
The board also includes, from left to right: Ivan Brühwiler (B3 Kolb AG), Beat Lauber (Lauber Ingenieure AG), Adrien Cahu (IngeWood Sàrl), Pius Renggli (Holzprojekt AG) Elmar Kunz (Pirmin Jung Schweiz AG). On the picture Reinhard Wiederkehr (Makiol Wiederkehr AG) is missing. The STE-AoC office is managed by the Lignum office in Zurich; the managing director is Bernhard Furrer, deputy Lignum director and head of technology.
'From the point of view of timber engineers, Lignum is the most important door opener for wood in the construction market. Many personalities from our circles have been strongly committed to Lignum for decades. For us, it is therefore no more than consistent that, after organizing ourselves as a professional association, we are also closely linked institutionally with Lignum,' explains STE-AoC President Andreas Burgherr.
Source: Lignum, Michael Meuter