Steel would have been the obvious choice for the alterations to the existing structure, but Hewitt Studios chose a combination of Laminated Veneer Lumber beams, glued-laminated columns and cross-laminated floors and balconies. This palette of pre-fabricated, sustainable and attractive timber products allowed for a rapid on-site build requiring no additional lining or site-applied finishes.
Berkeley Green Skills Centre, Berkeley, UK
Program: research centre
Architects: Hewitt Studios LLP
Structural engineering: O’Brien & Price Stroud Ltd
Lighting design: The Lighthouse Design Partnership
Contractor: Kier Cheltenham
Area: 4,500 sqm
Completion: 2016