MWE has been responsible for the structural design of the extension which provides a cost effective solution as well as having an aesthetic appeal, harmonising with the character of the house.

The timber box spans 3m and is supported at the existing house end by a steel box shelf, fixed to the brickwork, and at the other end by a timber clad steel portal frame.

The plywood laminates were glued and fixed to timber joists on site. Stressed skin timber was used to build the lightweight airframes of the twin engined Mosquito, making it one of the fastest aircraft flying in WW2.

Civil application of composite timber structures allows architects to increase spans, reduce depth of the floor, increase headroom and improve dynamic performance of the floors in comparison to traditional construction. Using composite (stressed skin construction) timber structures can significantly reduce the use of structural steel and means it is one of the most cost effective and eco-friendly design solutions available.

“Construction costs can be reduced by up to 10%,” says Gennady Vasilchenko-Malishev, partner at MWE. “The use of stressed skin timber boxes is common in housebuilding in the USA and Scandinavian countries but not widespread here in the UK, where builders tend to be more comfortable with traditional construction techniques.”

Architect for the project is the Crawford Partnership.