The Thornton Building: timber in its DNA

The Thornton Building: timber in its DNA
by Matt Milton|02 August 26|Design
A three-storey, mass-timber office building, the Thornton Building provides workspace for over 200 staff of EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute. Completed in summer 2024, the building is an essential part of the masterplan for the Wellcome Genome Campus at Hinxton Hall near Cambridge.  Thornton Building exterior; © Peter Landers Its flexible...
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Paradise: a timber trailblazer
by Bryony Bodimeade|17 July 26|Design
Providing 63,250 square feet of office space, Paradise is a new six-storey timber hybrid commercial building in Lambeth designed by architecture studio Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios for client Bywater. Sitting in a highly visible location, overlooked by a major commuter trainline into Waterloo Station, the project has always had big...
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Xylo – an all-timber office building – rises in Clerkenwell
by Bryony Bodimeade|18 March 26|Design
Construction is underway on Xylo, a landmark nine-storey office development in Clerkenwell and what is due to be the UK’s largest consented all-timber frame office building. The scheme is being developed by Global Holdings Management Group, with McLaren Construction appointed as main contractor, alongside architects Piercy&Company and structural engineers Heyne...
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Urban Nature Project: Reimagining Natural History
by Bryony Bodimeade|27 November 25|Design
The Gold Award-winning timber and stone additions to the Natural History Museum use legible, low-tech construction and natural materials to connect visitors to the landscape. Feilden Fowles’ enchanting transformation of the Natural History Museum’s outdoor landscape has reshaped the visitor experience into a choreographed journey through geological history – while...
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New Wave House
A new wave of timber design
by Bryony Bodimeade|22 October 25|Design
By maximising the potential of an existing building and prioritising material reuse, this bespoke commercial project demonstrates how timber construction combined with circular thinking can create generous architecture with minimal environmental impact – setting a strong precedent for low-carbon urban development. A light-weight glulam pavilion adds another floor to the...
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The doors to Paradise (SE11) have opened
by Matt Milton|12 May 25|Design, Sustainability
Last week, the high-performing mass timber office building Paradise SE11 opened its doors. TDUK staff, including our CEO David Hopkins, were among those attending its launch, and took a tour of this impressive 6-storey structure. Front entrance to the Paradise Building; © Paul Brannen The building takes its name from...
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Mass Timber Centre of Excellence launches at BE-ST Campus
by Jennie Ward|04 May 25|Design, Supply
A centre of excellence for mass timber research, innovation and manufacturing has been launched by Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST). Supported by Scottish Funding Council and host institution Edinburgh Napier University, the Innovation Campus at BE-ST will now house £1.5 million pounds of newly acquired, state-of-the-art mass timber post-processing...
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PEFC - Mass Timber and Moisture event
PEFC shares free masterclasses on moisture in timber construction
by Liam Macandrew|04 February 25|Design
One of the most important aspects of building with timber is properly planning for how to deal with moisture. Poor management, whether it is leaving timber exposed on site, or otherwise failing to account for moisture during the design process, can result in future damage – and expensive remediation. To...
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An iconic town hall reborn from the ashes, with a sensitive timber renovation
by Matt Milton|20 January 25|Design
In the winter of 2013, while undergoing some minor repair works, Walworth Town Hall suffered from a devastating fire. Originating in the council’s debating chamber, the fire ravaged most of the town hall, rendering the building unusable ever since and leaving it in a dire state of disrepair. To restore...
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King Charles III visits mass timber development during Australian tour
by Jennie Ward|23 October 24|Build, Supply
His Majesty King Charles III has visited a mass timber development in Australia during his official tour of the country. James Jones & Sons’ Australian subsidiary, The Hyne Group, welcomed news of the King's visit to the Homes NSW Cowper Street development to talk about sustainable housing. He was accompanied...
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