Supplying Timber Issue 9 0 - Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 60
———— WOOD AWARDS ————
USING TIMBER
Urban Nature Project
Transforming the underused
gardens of the Natural History
Museum into an oasis of urban
nature, this scheme integrates
a new café and education
building into the surrounding
landscaping. Locally sourced,
low impact, natural materials
– including UK-grown Douglas
Fir and British limestone – were
selected to reduce embodied
carbon and support local supply
chains.
The Nature Activity Centre's
structure is de昀椀ned by an
asymmetric pitched roof formed
from solid and glulam Douglas
Fir and clad in Western Red
Cedar shingles. The timber
structures have connections
allowing for disassembly and
reconstruction.
Farmer’s Arms
Cold Food Store
Situated in a historic Lake
District pub, this experimental
building is de昀椀ned by a timber
frame covered with traditional
Japanese plaster and perched
on boulders.
A locally grown larch timber
frame sits atop slate boulders,
surpassing the need for
concrete foundations. In昀椀ll
wattle-and-daub wall panels
are formed from hand split oak
laths and coated with Shikkui
plaster, mixed with hemp-昀椀bre
and straw.
Walworth Town Hall
Walworth Town Hall has been
restored and extended following
a devastating 昀椀re. Carefully
reimagined with structural
timber, the Grade II-listed
Victorian landmark introduces
modern CLT features to replace
昀椀re-damaged sections of the
building. Timber has been
instrumental to the building’s
transformation; from its vertical
extensions to its new vaulted
ceilings, sculptural roof turrets,
open-plan lobbies and a
bespoke so昀케t with integrated
lighting and arched columns.
Vert
Vert is an experimental timber
structure designed to enhance
biodiversity in urban public
spaces, while showcasing the
potential for American red
oak glulam. Constructed as
a temporary structure for the
2024 London Design Festival,
Vert features a series of
timber triangles that support
biodegradable nets, providing
a framework for fast growing
climbing plants. The structure
can be dismantled and
reinstalled another three times
using the same 昀椀ttings and
engineering components.
By using red oak Vert pushes
the boundaries of glulam
manufacturing and o昀昀ers a
new use for this species. It's
strength and density allow for
smaller cross section beams,
minimizing material usage
while maintaining high strength
values.
Upminster Tithe Barn
This restoration project has
brought new life to a medieval
timber-framed barn while
preserving its unique character
and historical value.
Essential timber repairs have
restored the oak frame's failed,
missing, and decayed elements.
Detailed assessments ensured
that timber repairs were carried
out only where necessary and
with minimal intervention. The
use of new seasoned oak helps
preserve the character of the
original structure.
SUPPLYING TIMBER
60
AUTUMN 2025
© Petr Krejci. Vert is an experimen
for the
© Richard Fraser
Photography. Beech
Court Pavilion.
