Explore different applications of the Build-in-Wood system

The demonstrator was envisioned as a prototype to showcase the efficacy and potential of the Build in Wood structural and facade systems. The building allows the consortium to demonstrate and test both the constructability and performance of the proposed solutions in a real-world context.

The product of intense collaboration and enthusiasm between consortium partners, this aspiration has become a reality, with construction of the ‘Build-in-Wood Demonstrator’ having begun on the campus of lead partner, the Danish Technological Institute, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The two-storey building is conceived in three parts; a conventional office space designed using a ‘pure’ representation of the Build-in-Wood system, a central connecting atrium space (which comprises the site-specific building core / stability structure) where the beauty and quality of exposed structural timber will be celebrated; and finally, a ‘lab’ space where various iterations and solutions of the Build-in-Wood system and other timber building methods and components can be tested, compared, and monitored. Initial testing will include hygrothermal, acoustic and moisture testing, as well as post occupancy evaluation, with the design optimised to enhance the potential for future exploration and investigation.

The municipality of Trondheim has a long-standing history of using timber construction for low rise buildings, and as such are naturally one of the forerunners in promoting and understanding the potential benefits of mass timber.

For this study, the consortium was asked to investigate the use of the Build-in-Wood system for the retrofit and extension of an existing project owned by the Vestilia housing association.

The proposal uses the system to enhance accessibility, improve the thermal performance and help meet locally increasing housing demand. It does this through the provision of new stair and lift cores compliant with current Norwegian Regulations, recladding of the existing building using the façade system, and incorporating an additional two-storey extension at roof level, creating eight additional dwellings.

This project demonstrates an approach to sustainable retrofit, with the expansion of an existing typology that is prevalent throughout the district. This formed part of a more extensive study into the potentials and challenges of timber construction in Norway, led by consortium partner the Norwegian Technological Institute (NTI).

The London Borough of Haringey is undertaking an ambitious new-build programme that aims to deliver high-quality council homes for social rent, whilst also pushing the development of Zero Carbon local planning policy.

Haringey requested that the consortium review two early-stage social housing projects which were already developed to planning level, without specific consideration of the structural material. The ambition here was to demonstrate the minimal impact that adapting to the Build-in-Wood system has on internal configuration and external appearance, in addition to showcasing the potential carbon savings.

Whilst retroactively adjusting a project to have a timber structure is not usually the most efficient approach to designing in timber, this exercise served to demonstrate the flexibility of the system, and its ability to accommodate less regular layouts and unique aesthetic features. In addition, it led to further investigation of how the Build-in-Wood structure and façade systems can be used to meet recent legislative changes in the UK that prohibit the use of combustible material within the external wall of certain buildings, namely housing.

This work informed development of ‘The New Model Building’ by consortium partner Waugh Thistleton Architects, alongside other UK based industry experts. This system comprises a mass timber structure with a fully non-combustible façade that has been pre-assessed by a UK warranty provider.

As an area where use of timber in construction is already common practice, the Municipality of Innsbruck were keen to understand how the Build-in-Wood System could be used to build upon this historic connection to timber and encourage a holistic and sustainable approach to achieving the lowest carbon emissions possible for new developments.

Innsbruck asked the consortium to investigate a site in Hungerburg, situated in a former quarry in a mountainous region above the city of Innsbruck, specifically how best to accommodate a predominantly residential development alongside a mix of other uses such as kindergarten and office space.

The response proposes a series of blocks each comprising two main bays of the same grid, which are offset to increase daylight penetration, provide space for circulation, and break down the massing volumes. The introduction of pitched roofs and variable balconies onto the baseline bays responds to the vernacular architecture and context, whilst also addressing challenges of the local winter climate.

The location of Trento, at the intersection between the Alps and the rest of Italy, gives transportation a particular relevance and focus for the municipality.

Keen to test the potential of the Build-in-Wood System, Trento requested that the consortium investigate the design of a landmark tower that could provide an observation deck with views over the mountains and city, as well as an innovative bike storage solution for city occupants.

For such a unique project, in terms of its spatial design, sculptural form and essentially exterior spaces, many of the principles of the system needed to be adjusted or modified from those which had been defined for a more conventional building.

Use of timber in projects such as these can prove to be a catalyst for increased interest in and awareness of timber construction and sustainability within a given district. In addition, working through challenges, such as designing for durability of timber in external contexts, with the Trento team, allowed the consortium to demonstrate the flexibility of timber structures, and the knowledge and expertise required for its successful implementation.

This website as well as the downloadable guide developed to support use of the Build-in-Wood system represent just one of many sources that designers can refer to for the necessary guidance and knowledge they need to execute robust, safe, and beautiful designs in timber.

The Metropolitan Region of Amsterdam (MRA) is developing a series of aspiring strategies to actively promote and facilitate the use of timber within the Dutch construction industry.

The consortium was requested to undertake a high-level appraisal and design proposal for two different sites earmarked by the MRA for housing developments, in the hope that they could be efficiently designed in timber.

At the first location, a suburban site in Schagen (Muggenburg Zuid) to the north of Amsterdam, the proposal stipulated a series of five to eight storey affordable housing blocks. Working without an existing design proposal, that the team would otherwise need to be maintain, allowed for the parameters of the system to inform the massing proposal and be truly optimised. The resulting simple yet elegant blocks we subsequently very well received by the municipality.

The second proposal in Molenwijk, a district in north Amsterdam, contained an existing concrete car park structure onto which the proposal aimed to extend a multi-storey timber residential building. Efforts were focused on coordinating the existing car park grid with a layout suitable for residential use and the timber structure of the Build-in-Wood system.

These proposals, outlined within the context of the clear benefits of building with timber during construction and occupation, serve as a demonstration of the potential of MRAs emerging timber policies and mechanisms by which timber building projects can be realised within a Dutch context.