allowed the project team to create affordable homes which are great for people and planet. “The architects chose timber for the structure and have delivered a showcase for the use of CLT in high-quality social housing in London,” said Mr Greaves. “The project sets a precedent for future sustainable, council-led schemes.”
A very different kind of residence won the Restoration & Reuse category.
Located in the Cotswolds, The Cowshed is a sensitive conversion of a small, historic, listed barn into a two-bedroom dwelling. The original barn was comprised of a single-storey cowshed and bull pen with a hayloft above, which had multiple level changes and was in a poor state of repair. The project saw the two sides of the barn united with the insertion of an oak timber structure, which mitigates the level change and houses a new staircase to the first floor.
The building’s original tilted structure has been innovatively “lifted” into its original position, enabling complete reuse with minimum intervention. Even the original padstones, discovered during construction, were reused, and the historic posts repaired with new timber scarfed into the old. The barn’s simplicity is celebrated by using existing openings and a restrained material palette, including timber boarding and lime plaster, which sit comfortably within the stone shell of the existing building. The retention and repair of historic features such as doors, weathered timber boarding and timber roof structure respect the barn’s agricultural heritage.
The architect was Design Storey Architects, the wood supplier was Town Country Flooring and the joinery was by Matford Construction. In contrast, a six-storey office building in London showcases the architectural, structural and sustainable potential of mass timber. Situated on a constrained former industrial site next to Waterloo Station, Paradise – which won the Structural Award – is the largest mass timber office building completed in the UK since the introduction of more stringent fire regulations. Its exposed CLT and glulam structure sets a new precedent for fire safety and design ambition.
Above (from top to bottom): Paradise won the Structural award PHOTO ANDY STAGG
Paradise features an exposed glulam and CLT structure PHOTO ANDY STAGG Armadillo won the Small Project category PHOTO HENRY WOIDE
TTJ | Spring 2026 |
www.ttjonline.com
The low-embodied carbon timber frame is a central architectural and technical feature. Its design demanded detailed co- ordination between structure, services and architecture. Extensive use of prefabrication, precise moisture management, and carefully sequenced installation ensured a flawless finish. All visual connections were detailed for both performance and appearance, with dowelled joints aligned for a refined, honest aesthetic.
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