The building at 132 Goswell Road has been many things. Once it was a gin distillery. In the 1960s it became office space with the intriguing name ‘Laser House’.
Today, thanks to an extensive timber-framed retrofit and extension, it has been granted a new lease of life as the Technique Building. It has been transformed by a new superstructure of glulam column-and-beam frame, and new storeys (with solid CLT floor slabs) added to the top.
The building now offers some 74,000 sq ft of space across its six storeys, featuring high ceilings and generous open volumes.
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LocationClerkenwell, London
Completion Date2022
Gross Internal Floor Area8650 m²
ArchitectBuckley Gray Yeoman
ClientGeneral Projects
Project TypeCommercial
Building TypeOffice
Structural EngineerHeyne Tillett Steel
Structural Timber EngineerB&K Hybrid Structures
Main ContractorGraham Construction
Wood SupplierBinderholz (CLT); Derix (glulam)
MEP EngineerMichael Nugent
PhotographerJack Hobhouse
Product InfoCLT; glulam
Timber SpeciesSpruce
Timber ElementsTimber frame
Upfront carbon emissions (A1-A5)374 kgCO₂e/m²
Stored biogenic carbon92 kgCO₂e/m²
Airtightness at 50pa3 m³/hr/m²
Overall area-weighted U-value0.613 W/m²k
Design life60 years
Engineered timber proved to be an efficient offsite solution in adding three new floors of workspace. The accuracy of the CNC-cut elements in combination with careful scheduling helped maintain programme deadlines, while lorry deliveries were cut by 70%, on a site where space presented significant challenges: the Technique building is in a densely occupied part of town.
The excellent airtightness contributed to Technique exceeding Part L requirements. The project achieved an overall 1,709 tonne reduction in carbon compared to a reinforced concrete and steel alternative.
