Just around the corner from London Bridge railway station, a small development has been causing quite a stir.
Tucked away through an archway off Bermondsey Street, the latest in modern methods of construction has been taking shape in the form of timber homes – trucked direct from Slovenia.
Two houses and an artist’s studio made predominantly with solid laminated wood panels by Riko Homes were erected in a matter of days on a small site at Carmarthen Place, to the rear of 18th century houses.
The development, Riko’s first in the UK, has had an almost universally positive reception from neighbours and planners alike. In fact, during the short build process (the two houses only took 10 days to erect and the studio just two days) a steady stream of curious visitors dropped in to get a closer look at a construction system many of them had never seen before.
Even the local council sent a team of architects to check it out. And prospective purchasers have not been in short supply either.
The development was also unconventional in that it was undertaken by a couple who had no building experience.
Timber Building’s visit to the site was on a cold March day when the studio panels were being craned into position.
“Most of the work is done in the factory,” said Marin Bradvica, who represents Riko’s UK and Ireland agent Lignum Homes. This includes walls, floors, timber windows, doors, insulation and untreated larch cladding.
With the exception of some curved timber frame sections, the 100mm-thick walls are solid laminated wood – a build system uncommon in the UK. Basically, small sections of selected spruce are glued together to form large panels and are connected via bolts.
Bradvica said the system’s benefits over timber frame include greatly increased strength, a ready-made decorative interior finish, and a healthy living environment and indoor air quality.
He said Riko walls, unlike conventional timber frame, do not need a water vapour barrier, due to the ability of large wood surfaces to absorb moisture and release it later. But in this case a barrier was required because of the gaps specified in the cladding and the use of Rockwool instead of the normal wood fibre insulation. á
Ü All the components for the two houses were transported on four trucks direct from Riko’s factory and erected on site by four Riko workers.
Bradvica said the solution removed the need for skilled contractors and wet trades, as well as reducing costly snagging problems. And it meant less noise and disruption for neighbours on what is a confined site, overlooked by several blocks of flats.
The three-storey houses, which together provide 180m2 of space, feature two bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor, kitchen and dining on the first level and living space/roof terrace at the top.
Ironically, this impressive development may never have happened had Robert Mosley and Amanda Menage not stepped in.
An elderly woman who owned a house in Bermondsey Street, next to Mosley and Menage’s own houses, planned to sell the land to a developer. Mosley recalled he was horrified at the prospect of a large, unsightly apartment block bearing down on them.
So, they took the plunge and bought the land themselves.
“We became developers by default, there was no big masterplan,” said Menage.
Even then, the couple, who freely admit to being timber enthusiasts, first thought of building using concrete and glass – after being inspired by an award-winning house nearby. But a quick reality check kicked in due to the expense of this method.
Planning permission was granted from drawings produced by Menage and architect Emma Doherty. Then, Kate Cheyne of Bermondsey Street-based Architects in Residence, came onto the project. “She transformed our ideas into what was feasible from a Building Regulations point of view,” said Menage.
Mosley and Menage became impressed with the solid
timber panel method of building after seeing a system on display in the Construction Resources Centre in Great Suffolk St. They then looked at an Austrian system before choosing Riko’s panels.
It was the first time Architects in Residence had used a prefabricated system and there were pros and cons, just as with traditional construction, said Kate Cheney.
The advantages included a reduction of time on site and improved quality. In particular, she was impressed with Riko’s panels, which do not require an interior plaster finish.
The double-height studio, situated at the rear of Mosley and Menage’s house, features a sedum roof and will be used by Mosley for painting. The two houses are being sold on the open market.
Meanwhile, Riko has since won a contract for another development in the south-east, this time comprising about 150 houses. The majority will use a 140mm-deep closed panel timber frame system but Riko also plans to build several of its solid timber houses to demonstrate the qual-ity of the construction method.
