OR6 – Hackney

Overview:

The brief was to develop a sustainable structure within a rapid delivery schedule to create a premium commercial space. 6 Orsman Road, now known as OR6, is a six-storey building that effortlessly showcases the benefits of engineered timber technology. The project brief called for a sustainable structure that would maximise the space available and allow for a speedy construction process, as a result the client was able to maximise their return on investment by letting the space earlier. Designed by timber advocates, Waugh Thistleton Architects, this flagship commercial space has been developed in line with Hackney’s ‘Timber First’ policy.

In close collaboration with construction partners, B&K Structures developed a structural solution that would maximise space and achieve a rapid construction process. The offsite manufacture of the cross laminated timber (CLT) structure combined with ‘just-in-time’ deliveries provided the optimum solution. Shortlisted for the ‘Best Commercial Project’ and ‘Pioneer of the Year’ Structural Timber Awards, OR6 is a ground breaking superstructure with outstanding green credentials.

B&K Structures used a progressive approach to reduce environmental impact and ensure optimal build quality. Building in cross laminated timber is quick, clean, and easy. It can be achieved with a measured accuracy and lack of noise, waste, or need for onsite material storage space. It has notable benefits in terms of warmth, acoustics, and structural efficiency. CLT offers high strength to weight ratios that in many cases equal those of reinforced concrete. The use of sustainably sourced CLT and advanced offsite manufacturing methods reduced the weight of the superstructure, which decreased foundation requirements, resulting in an overall reduction in the volume of concrete used for the ground works as compared to a traditional build, lessoning the impact on the environment. This method of construction leads to safer, cleaner, quieter sites, with a reduced number of workers and consequently less nuisance to neighbours in a dense urban site.

Unprecedented demand has been received by the letting agents, who are using the environmental credentials of OR6 to attract tenants, stating: ‘cross laminated timber is an innovative, environmentally sustainable material that significantly reduces levels of pollution storing tonnes of CO² in the material, effectively making the building carbon neutral.’ CLT is the building material of the future. Low carbon and replenishable timber are key to solving construction pollution and climate change. Buildings made from natural materials are proven to be healthier and happier places to live and work.