There is nothing in the building regulations that prohibits high-rise timber buildings, although the practical limit (and current code limitation) for stud wall timber frame is seven storeys. The Stadthaus (German for townhouse) is – with eight floors of timber structure – the tallest habitable timber building in the world. And architects and structural engineers are already working on timber buildings that will be considerably taller.

The building is insulated and airtight beyond UK requirements. Mechanical ventilation of all rooms includes a heat recovery system that retains 70% of the heat that would normally be lost when return air is expelled. Photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof generate a modest supply of renewable energy.

With sustainability high on the agenda, the design meets the Lifetime Homes standard and includes a green-wall wrapping on the southern elevation of the building to encourage local biodiversity. A variety of new shrubs and trees will create an ecologically sustainable ‘pocket’ park. The development includes a landscaped playground for children on the south side, which parents can overlook from half the apartments.

The unusual feature is the cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels used as load-bearing walls and floor slabs. There are no beams or columns anywhere and the structure is amenable to openings being created in walls with relative ease. The architects and engineers had prior experience of CLT, gained through a variety of low rise housing, commercial, educational and industrial projects. Their interest in using CLT arose from an environmental position and a desire to make timber more readily accepted in the UK, especially for tall structures that have hitherto been feasible only with inorganic building materials such as concrete, masonry and steel.