NEWS SEMINAR Presenting the timber alternative


An event hosted by London South Bank University (LSBU) saw the benefits of working with modern engineered timber discussed by leading UK architects. ‘Urban Wood: An Alternative


Architecture’ a collaboration between Metsä Wood and LSBU, was attended by more than 100 practising architects, as well as architecture students and profes- sors. The purpose of the event was to “present and discuss alternatives to pre- ferred materials, such as concrete, steel and brick.” The event also marked the launch of


what has been claimed as an “innova- tive” design project between Metsä Wood


AWARDS


Clear Architects shortlisted for timber award


and LSBU architectural students. They were challenged to identify how timber’s cost-effectiveness and flexibility could be effectively harnessed to restore old or iconic buildings in London. The project was designed to show the


next generation of architects that timber can be a “true alternative” for designing exteriors and structures of urban build- ings of the future, enabling their cost- effective refurbishment. Presenters included Jon Broome (Jon


Broome Architects), Andrew Waugh (Waugh Thistleton), Professor Alex de Rijke (dRMM Architects) and Metsä Wood’s Frank Werling.


NEW BUILD


A bespoke timber frame for a tight Oxford site


A detached house has been completed to a design by WG+P Architects on a narrow site in Oxford, constructed using a specially-designed timber frame, and finished with timber cladding. According to the architects, the


project was also realised on a “very modest budget,” but complied with Code 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The client wanted a “striking, modern design that would comple- ment the neighbouring Victorian cot- tages as well as complying with the Code,” said the architects. The solution proposed used a


bespoke, pre-fabricated timber frame structure, with accommodation over three stories and the ground floor extending into the landscaped rear garden. A large roof-light positioned over a double height hall creates a spacious feel, bringing light deep into the centre of the long and narrow property. The architects commented on how the design helped the project blend into its context: “The form, scale and limited palette of materials complement and re-interpret the sur- rounding vernacular architecture.”


9


Loughton, Essex-based Clear Architects has been shortlisted for ‘Best New Build’ in the Structural Timber Awards 2016 for their project 40 Hill Road in Theydon Bois, Essex. The winners will be announced at the


Awards Dinner on 19 October 2016 at the National Conference Centre, Birmingham. The architects transformed a 1950s bun-


galow into a modern three-storey home on the fringes of the Essex Green Belt. The site topography influenced the design concept


ADF OCTOBER 2016


to provide views of London and the sur- rounding countryside. Melanie Clear, director of Clear


Architects, commented: “The project was incredibly challenging, and transforming the bungalow plot to this amazing new home was us at our creative best.” She adds: the site almost guided us to the end design, we wanted to maxim-ise the London skyline yet still address the street, hence the almost T shape form with an angled feature staircase.”


WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44