Timber Building
12 March, 2010
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CASE STUDIES

The first car enters the car park

An exterior view

Multi-storey marvel

Sweden’s first timber multi-storey car park has rewritten the design possibilities for urban buildings traditionally the domain of concrete. Stephen Powney reports

Published:  03 March, 2010
More than an academic exercise

The Norwich Open Academy takes building in cross-laminated timber panels to new heights and in new directions. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  03 March, 2010

The elevations of the houses resemble tall town houses

Each block had to be stepped to accommodate the gradient

Cultural exchange

Anne McDonald reports on a unique inner city redevelopment which successfully marries thoughtful design with the sustainability of timber frame, creating a RIBA Housing Design Award winning scheme

Published:  19 February, 2010

The visitor centre was designed to give the feeling of an African-style lodge

Rope features between joints to form a theme with the handrails – and also to hide gaps

Wild wood

An all-timber lodge provides the perfect vantage point for watching the biggest carnivores in Kent. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  18 February, 2010

The ceiling comprises 2,544 parts, each finished by hand, and weighs five tonnes

Vaulting ambition

Hi-tech timber craftsmanship is adding a stunning finishing touch to England’s newest cathedral. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  12 February, 2010

The Dawyck building features a simple post and beam structure

Garden gateways

Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens has demonstrated two different approaches to building with timber. Peter Wilson, architect and director of business development for the Centre for Timber Engineering at Edinburgh Napier University reports

Published:  04 November, 2009

Sleepers were reclaimed from Plymouth harbour

Interactive eco luxury

Perched on a Cornish hillside overlooking the dramatic beach at Mawgan Porth, the new Scarlet Hotel is staking a claim to be the UK’s only truly eco hotel. Stephen Powney reports

 

 

Published:  21 October, 2009

Mayr-Melnhof’s new headquarters building blends a range of engineered timber products

A cut above

You might not expect a sawmiller to opt for avant-garde architecture, but Mayr-Melnhof has done just that – in glulam. Stephen Powney reports

Published:  03 June, 2009

The footprints of redundant buildings around a mediaeval yard formed the template for the new Berwick Workspace

Back in town

Squeezed out over centuries by other materials, timber is now making serious forays back into urban construction. A recent example is Berwick-upon-Tweed’s new Workspace development. Peter Wilson, architect and director of business development for the Centre for Timber Engineering at Edinburgh Napier University, reports

Published:  03 June, 2009

St John Fisher school uses 1,000m3 of cross laminated timber panels

Class act in CLT

The St John Fisher School pushes the UK boundaries for prefabricated cross-laminated timber building. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  28 May, 2009

In three years, the green screen will have grown the height of the building

The larch cladding is plain sawn and unfinished

Against the grain

This is timber building in the raw. The architect himself, Richard Scales of studiomgm, describes it as uncompromising.

Published:  25 March, 2009
The Britten Studio with its roof containing 314 acoustic boxes

The Britten Studio with its roof containing 314 acoustic boxes

Raising the rafters

A multi-million pound redevelopment project at Snape Maltings has timber at its heart. Sally Spencer reports

Published:  01 February, 2009

The archive from the water

Museum piece

Peter Wilson, architect and director of business development for the Centre for Timber Engineering at Napier University takes a look at the 2008 Wood Awards Gold Award winner, the Shetland Museum and Archives.

Published:  01 February, 2009
From the forest to the stars

The Kielder Observatory looks to new horizons in timber construction. Peter Wilson, architect and director of business development at Napier University’s Centre for Timber Engineering, reports

Published:  01 December, 2008
A trick of the light

A timber pavilion at last year’s London Design Festival broke new ground all round.  Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  01 December, 2008

The designs for the Llandegla project

Welsh wood wonder

A new construction system is raising hope that Welsh softwood can enter new markets. Stephen Powney reports

Published:  01 December, 2008

The two nursery schools, which are variations on a visual theme, are light, airy and open, despite their relatively diminutive 250m2 footprint

Pre-school goes prefab

An Essex council made the switch to prefabricated timber panel construction for two nursery schools. Sally Spencer reports

Published:  22 August, 2008

The Richmond Oval will host the 2010 Winter Olympics speed skating events

Olympian effort

The Richmond Oval’s massive timber roof is a prime example of how timber can be used in international arenas. David Pittman reports

Published:  22 August, 2008

The new park authority headquarters may use traditional materials, but it is set out on a very non-traditional shallow ‘S’ shape Photo: Renzo Mazzolini

How green is my glen?

The new HQ of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority demonstrates the potential of green timber construction, writes Peter Wilson, architect and director of business development at Napier University’s Centre for Timber Engineering

Published:  22 August, 2008

Exterior view of Kevin McCloud’s house at the Grand Designs Live exhibition

Building by numbers

The Facit building system employs digital technology to produce bespoke houses made from prefabricated timber cassettes. David Castle reports

Published:  22 August, 2008

Wolseley's Sustainable Building Center is built from 107 of the company's 7,000 sustainable products

Sexily sustainable

Wolseley’s new eco-building products showcase is designed to tune the UK in, and turn it on, to sustainable construction. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  22 August, 2008

Carpenter Oak built the oak frame structure

A corridor looking into one of the rooms

Mitred oak

A traditional oak frame structure with a modern twist has given  Wells Cathedral room to breathe. Stephen Powney reports

Published:  01 April, 2008

The glulam beams ready for lifting into place

The internal structure was designed to make the most of natural light

Flight of the carpenter

Finnforest Merk had to over-come numerous challenges to complete the timber-centric redevelopment of Pier 2E at Charles de Gaulle airport. David Pittman reports

Published:  01 April, 2008

The multi-directional curves of the glulam frames at Wickersley School posed a technical challenge

Hopkins' Norwich Cathedral Refectory

Timber multi-tasker

A list of the types of building that contractor Constructional Timber doesn’t handle would be a short one. Mike Jeffree reports on a master of many trades

Published:  01 April, 2008

OSB provides the centre's curved components

Scottish-grown European larch was used for the cladding

Living history

Culloden finally has a visitor centre worthy of the momentous events there 262 years ago, writes Peter Wilson, architect and director of business development at the Centre for Timber Engineering

Published:  01 April, 2008

The houses are finished in a combination of renderboard and Cornish chestnut slats

A house for all species

Sustainability is the watchword in a Brixton social housing development, to the point that it even incorporates habitats for bats and insects. Will Anderson reports

Published:  22 February, 2008

Free space and the 'wow' factor at Sandroyd School

Arts and craft

The bold lines of a new school performing art centre are based on a blend of traditional oak beam construction with a hi-tech, bespoke jointing system. Keith Fryer reports

Published:  22 February, 2008

The west elevation of the pool, clad in English oak boards

A forest lake in Formby

Natural inspiration helped a Lancashire swimming pool net Gold in the 2007 Wood Awards. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  22 February, 2008

Panels being craned into position

Supersonic Sussex Build

OSM Homes has supplied its first German-made timber houses to a small development in Lewes. Stephen Powney reports

Published:  11 November, 2007

The core of the building is inspired by the form of a boat

Palliative partnership

The new Palliative Care Centre at James Paget University Hospital in Norfolk will draw on the local boat-building tradition. Will Anderson reports

Published:  11 November, 2007

The site of Hanson Hall was formerly occupied by a Ministry of Defence munitions shed

Across the ages

An ambitious project in Cheshire sees timber frame bridging the gap between the 17th and 21st centuries. Sally Spencer reports

Published:  05 November, 2007

The design by Glasgow-based SMC Davis Duncan Architects is a tour-de-force of timber construction

Sporting performance

Timber is used inside and out for Craigholme School’s new sports pavilion. Architect Peter Wilson, director of business development at Napier University’s Centre for Timber Engineering, reports

Published:  05 November, 2007

The nine-storey building features a honeycomb structure

New heights

Cross-laminated panels are being used in a nine-storey residential building in Hackney, which, when completed will be the tallest in the world. David Castle reports

Published:  05 November, 2007

The oak frame takes shape

Back to nature

The third phase of the Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswolds features oak-frame houses. David Castle reports

Published:  01 November, 2007

Architect Steven Willis and Tommy Walsh on the roof of the eco house

The eco-house that Tommy built

Timber frame and masonry marry up in a new TV series on how to build an eco-home. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  30 October, 2007

The prototype building was unveiled at BRE's OFFSITE 2007 exhibition and conference in June

Shine on self-build

A self-build package with cutting-edge green credentials that looks good, too! David Castle reports on the award-winning Lighthouse net-zero carbon home that closes the lid on soul-less boxes

Published:  30 October, 2007

One of the main A-frames

Old and improved

A 400-year-old timber-framed cottage restored after a catastrophic blaze incorporates some hidden fire safety improvement. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  29 July, 2007

The Onwin-Lawrence house at Balnafoich, Inverness, features Douglas fir trusses curved at the ridge with slow-grown larch cladding

Organic buildings

Peter Wilson, director of business development for the Centre for Timber Engineering at Napier University in Edinburgh, reports on the work of Neil Sutherland, an architect who has gone to unusual lengths to achieve his desired effect

Published:  15 July, 2007

The complex geometry of the pods required a high degree of skill SHEPHERD CONSTRUCTION

Study in red

American red oak has proved a hit with both staff and pupils at Northampton School for Boys. Lucy Kamall reports

Published:  15 July, 2007

One of the pods is lifted into place

High pods

The challenge was building new penthouse flats on top of a prestigious six-storey London apartment block. The solution was prefabricated, timber-frame pods and a crane. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  13 July, 2007
Under the coppiced chestnut tree

Furniture maker Stephen Owen is building a workshop at Cranleigh School, using coppiced chestnut. Will Anderson reports

Published:  13 July, 2007

Timber provides the wow factor at 28 Percy Street

Making light work

An airy, open glulam-framed extension has transformed a listed London Georgian terrace – and its prefabricated core was built by tea-time. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  18 June, 2007

Larch glulam beams in the Creativity Centre

Glulam takes theatre spotlight

A £14m development project involving the revamping and remodelling of the Royal and Derngate theatres in Northampton has been completed.

Published:  13 June, 2007

The Gallery II: a showpiece for the use of cedar cladding

Building growth

Following its management buyout, Pinewood Structures has big plans to expand its business and boost timber frame’s UK market share. Stephen Powney reports

Published:  10 June, 2007

An exemplar of sustainable construction: the new headquarters for Scottish Natural Heritage

Sustainability by degrees

Architect Peter Wilson, director of business development at the Centre for Timber Engineering at Napier University, looks at three new projects highlighting the growing preference for using sustainable local materials, including wood, in large commercial and public buildings

Published:  19 May, 2007

Bicton Primary School is an exemplar of modern methods of construction

It’s been an education

A new school in Shropshire should help dispel the grisly image of pre-fab classrooms. Will Anderson reports

Published:  19 May, 2007

The exterior features cladding panels and western red cedar

A grand DESIGN

At seven storeys, Grand Union Heights is one of the tallest timber structures in the UK. David Castle finds out what it took to make the building work and looks at the future of high-rise timber frame

Published:  20 April, 2007

The new complex will be a gateway to the forest Make Architects

Branching out

Make Architects' 20m-high Sherwood Forest visitor centre pushes the use of timber in its natural state. Peter Wilson, director of business development at Napier University's Centre for Timber Engineering, reports

Published:  06 April, 2007

Large areas of the timber frame will be encased in hemp/lime insulating material

CAT WISEs up

The new Wales Institute of Sustainable Education will provide environment-minded architects and builders with an educational facility that is both green and high spec. Sally Spencer reports

Published:  02 April, 2007

Initial artist's impression of the warehouse, a clear statement of Adnams' environmental intent

A sip of the sustainable stuff

East Anglia has a new flagship of UK eco-architecture – and it's used for storing beer. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  12 December, 2006
Brighton beach ware

A beach sports venue on Brighton's seafront is part of a plan to regenerate the eastern side of the Palace Pier. Will Anderson reports

Published:  12 December, 2006

The Savill Garden gridshell uses 20km of locally sourced larch lathe

Going for gridshell gold

The biggest timber gridshell in the UK has won prizes and popular approval. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  12 December, 2006
Green grocer

Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, has chosen timber for its first eco-store. Keren Fallwell reports

Published:  12 December, 2006

The diagrid roof at Alnwick Castle Garden's visitor centre

Pavilions in the landscape

Architect Peter Wilson, director of business development at the Centre for Timber Engineering at Napier University, reviews the visitor centres at Alnwick Castle Garden and Broughton Hall

Published:  12 December, 2006

Tree and house in their intimate embrace!

The satisfied self-builder

Will Anderson wrote about the first steps in the construction of his house in the first issue of Timber Building. Now, a year on, he describes his experience of working on and living in his ecologically ambitious self-built home

Published:  23 October, 2006

CGI of Aylesbury's new civic theatre

Civic pride

For visitors to Aylesbury's new civic theatre, the drama will begin before they even enter the building. Keren Fallwell reports

Published:  10 October, 2006

Architects Team 51.1O took Goldfinger’s principles about appearance, natural light and ventilation and applied them to modern requirements

The school with the Midas touch

Using the design principles of modernist architect Erno Goldfinger, Brandlehow school’s new classroom is a shining example of the flexibility and aesthetic qualities of timber. David Castle reports

Published:  20 July, 2006

The BRE demonstration house features a range of cladding and roof finishes

Housing holistics

Innovare Systems is pushing the boundaries with its structural insulated panel-based Jabhouse. Keren Fallwell reports

Published:  20 July, 2006

The ABA Hide House: like the other Land Mark homes, these will be built when a sale is secured. Prospective buyers have shown interest in both

Chic and cool in the Cotswolds

A nature reserve with homes attached is one description for a novel vacation development under way in the watery Cotswold countryside. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  20 July, 2006

The institute's theatre

Sea spectacular

The interior of Ireland’s new Marine Institute headquarters is anything but a clinical laboratory. Keren Fallwell and Michael Buckley report

Published:  20 July, 2006

The Holborough Valley development features a range of one- and two-bedroom apartments and one- to five-bedroom houses

Berkeley squares up to the future

In the heart of Kent a blue-chip British housing developer is fusing Canadian building technology with New England style. Sally Spencer reports on the largest Super E development in the world

Published:  20 July, 2006

Willersley Farm House – timber clad barn style newbuild on the site of an existing farm

Gearing up for growth

Taylor Lane has seen the future in timber frame – and it’s automated hi-tech. Martin Pearce reports

Published:  13 April, 2006

The frame is Douglas fir, used in its green form to take advantage of the pegged joints tightening as the timbers dry

Time to go home-grown

Peter Wilson, architect and director of business development at the Centre for Timber Engineering at Napier University, reports on the new headquarters for the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club

Published:  13 April, 2006

Lime render is used on some of the exteriors

Crowd puller

Timber is at the heart of an eco-housing project in Shropshire – and what’s more, it is sourced locally. Keren Fallwell reports

Published:  13 April, 2006

The Core’s glulam frame has two planes that create an arching double spiral. The geometry was based on the Fibonacci sequence

Sticking to core principles

What do you get when glulam beams meet the Fibonacci sequence? Mick Whitworth visited the Eden Project to find out

Published:  13 April, 2006

The Wood Awards judges were impressed with the inventive use of timber throughout the building and the way old and new material was juxtaposed

The heart of the matter

Simon Conder’s conversion of a Northamptonshire barn has won him accolades and Wood Awards Gold. Keren Fallwell reports

Published:  13 April, 2006

Glulam provides the frame for the environmentally- sustainable building

Natural history lesson

A new building in north-east London blends cutting edge, sustainable construction
and design that visually contrasts, but philosophically complements its historic surroundings. Will Anderson reports


Published:  13 April, 2006

Timber frame cassettes will be used for the Bromford Housing Group development

Different shades of green

A multiple occupancy housing and apartment development in Wolverhampton is all about sustainability made simple. Mike Jeffree and Jay Merrick report

Published:  13 April, 2006

The SmartLIFE Centre incorporates lecture rooms, offices and a visitor centre

Startlingly smart

The SmartLIFE Centre in Cambridge will be an inspiration for modern methods of construction generally and timber building in particular. Mike Jeffree reports

Published:  13 April, 2006
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