Timber in Historic Buildings - Talk by Benny Kuriakose

This discussion on the use of timber in ancient structures was presented by Benny Kuriakose and was organised by ICOMOS, Malaysia. In this video, he discusses the use of timber in historic structures and the reasons why timber is the most environmentally friendly building material.

Additionally, Benny Kuriakose provides his knowledge of the sustainability of wood, how termite assaults on wood occur, when fungal deterioration of wood starts, and other topics related to these. ICOMOS Malaysia, with assistance from the Citi Foundation, developed this instructional film for the Think City Institute's Cultural Heritage: Dollars & Sense online course (3–9 January 2021).

He explains the traditional methods of construction and the different techniques and scales used at that time. He shares his knowledge of various properties of timber, like its durability. The ways in which timber decays and the factors responsible for timber decay Timber being attacked by fungi and insects makes it less durable. He explains in detail the decaying of timber by fungal attack , termite attack, and the ways in which it can be avoided. He also discusses the fire resistance of timber members used in construction.

He also discusses climate change and global warming and the measures to be adopted to reduce the effect of climate change. He explains in detail why timber is considered to be the most sustainable building material.