Stanton Williams was commissioned to provide accommodation for 106 students, minimising energy use while maximising efficiency and value. The two new highly insulated four-storey blocks arranged around gardens and orchards are full of natural daylight. The design minimises energy use by using organic textures of red cedar cladding to generate a sense of warmth and link strongly to the landscape. The building facades will turn silver with time, blending into the landscape.
All rooms feature full width panoramic windows offering inspiring views over the surroundings. Corridors are illuminated with glazed ends and openable windows. Seven rooms – each with en suite shower-room are grouped with a large kitchen – resulting in a sociable, communal space.
The use of a timber frame FSC-certified from sustainable sources was found to be vital in allowing rapid construction and reducing carbon emissions compared to concrete. The frame assumes a direct, simple expression with elevations seemingly floating above a recessed concrete plinth. The cedar cladding provides an effective contrast in appearance with the brick solidity of existing buildings on site and reconciling them with the landscape.
The highly modular innovative design was achieved at a number of levels, from the overall timber frame and buildings themselves, to room layouts and the standardisation of details. A close collaboration with sub-consultants aided in developing a structural solution that allowed the entire building frame to be fabricated off-site and delivered in short sequences as sets of panels. These were then rapidly erected on site with the frames to both buildings completed within eight weeks. The amount of timber usually wasted during construction was minimised through using only one type of cedar; careful calculations to ensure the correct quantities were delivered to site; and adapting designs to match timber board lengths.
The Wood Awards was launched more than 30 years ago as the Carpenters’ Award and is now Britain’s premier award for wood in buildings and furniture. The aim of The Wood Awards is to recognise, encourage and promote outstanding design, craftsmanship and installation in wood, the world’s most naturally sustainable material.
