B&K Structures has played a fundamental role in the construction of the new SciTech Centre at Haileybury School in Hertfordshire, a trailblazing project which fully embraces the aesthetics of engineered timber. Offsite manufactured timber technology has contributed to the fast and flawless delivery of this complex and beautiful education facility, which meets the highest environmental standards.
Haileybury School has always been at the cutting edge of science teaching and research. With the launch of its new SciTech Centre, the aim was to create a space for practical and theoretical study to help inspire the next generation of scientists, mechanics and engineers. The school also wanted to unify the existing campus and bring STEM disciplines together, physically and symbolically.
The solution was an architecturally striking timber extension. Hopkins Architects led the design team, which included Integral Engineers, Atelier Ten, Adrian James and Kier Group.
B&K Structures (BKS) was appointed to design, manufacture and erect the cross laminated timber (CLT) and glulam elements for the structural frame of the new teaching block, research block and a light filled cloister designed to establish a focus for the square.
Elegant design
The new development integrates the old and new buildings and draws on the experience of this expert project team, including BKS’ supply chain partners Derix and Stora Enso, who supplied the glulam and CLT elements respectively.
The three-storey teaching block adopts a hipped roof form with a series of pitched glulam beams, clear spanning at regular centres with stainless steel ties.
Linked via the cloister, the two-storey research block has a central spine wall, supporting the first floor and roof, and a feature CLT stair that extends from ground to first floor, trimmed with glulam beams.
The roof forms a truncated pyramid featuring a central butterfly roof, while glulam beams cantilever from the spine wall, propped at each end by hip beams, extending down to the perimeter ring beam.
The elegant design of the connections between the hip members and the tension and compression rings was key to the success of the final design, requiring strong timber knowledge and innovation by B&K Structures – which brought more than 20 years of timber design and erection experience to the project team. BKS coordinated the intricate design via its supply chain partner Engenuiti and their own in-house team of skilled structural engineers.
Harnessing biophilic materials
A mixture of non-visual and visual grade CLT was specified to optimise use of raw materials as well as harness the aesthetic and biophilic benefits of exposed timber – which has proven advantages for students in education settings.
Speed of delivery was a key factor to coincide with term times. Prefabricating details within the factory, rather than on site, helped to achieve an impressive 12-week build schedule for the structural works, delivering rates of progress on site of 90m3 per week.
Multiple cut-outs, enabling routing of services and lifting devices, including hidden dowels, were incorporated into the CLT in the factory to meet and exceed expectations safely on site. 3D modelling by BKS’ in-house Drawing Office also enabled the compressed and efficient programme.
Finally, alongside using low-carbon structural timber, the SciTech Centre also features solar panels, green roofs and ground-source heat pumps. Now open, the unique facility houses state-of-the-art laboratories, IT and robotics suites and 20 interconnected seminar spaces. The project has doubled the size of the school’s previous provision, while supporting its net zero sustainability goals.
In total, 668.5m3 of CLT and 47.9m3 of glulam sections were delivered by BKS, sequestering approximately 544.3 tonnes CO2e from the atmosphere. Additionally, due to the carefully managed replanting of Europe’s forests, it can be calculated that all of the timber will have regrown in just 131 seconds.
“We are committed to sustainability and are delighted that our architects have provided a design which meets the highest environmental standards,” says Martin Collier, Master at Haileybury. “We are proud that the buildings feature many sustainable elements as we bring science to life and strive to reach our net zero targets. The construction of these innovative spaces prioritises sustainability, with features such as cross laminated timber.”
* This article was originally published in the Autumn 2025 issue of Supplying Timber magazine
