Webb Yates Engineers: Barrett's Grove
Project Details
Project - Barrett's Grove
Sector - Residential
Technology - CLT
Company - Webb Yates Engineers
Project Overview
Barrett's Grove, set in the Stoke Newington Conservation Area, accommodates two three-bedroom maisonettes, three two-bedroom flats and a studio. Standing on an archetypal Victorian street between a semi-detached townhouse and a red brick primary school, the form of this six-storey building echoes the tall gables of the school and standalone presence of the townhouse.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is used for all wall, floor and roof superstructure, and enveloping the building is a continuous façade of perforated brickwork that matches the neighbouring buildings. Cantilevering wicker-woven balconies soften the external material palette, and are offset in elevation allowing neighbours to communicate with each other. Internally, the CLT and brick structures are left exposed and joined by timber sets, shelving units, doors and stairs.
The ability of the materials to serve a number of purposes removed the need for plasterboarded walls, suspended ceilings, cornices, skirtings and finishes. This simplified timber design allowed the exposed CLT structure's material qualities to drive a warm, tactile aesthetic, while reducing the embodied carbon of the building, and minimising construction cost and time on site.
