A braced timber framed open-plan building designed to replace an existing concrete portal framed structure. Designed to provide flexible accommodation for future research activity and create a high quality and aspirational environment for its users and visitors.

The proposed structural design is driven by the local site context (protected avenue of trees, scale and proportion), end user requirements (function, circulation, access, supervision of work), materiality, and construction stages.

The building is comprises an open floor plan laboratory and workshop space at ground floor level, and offices, communal and teaching space at first floor level. The latter condensed into accommodation cores located at the north and south ends of the building. These provide passive supervision of the laboratory space and allow for the potential to subdivide the floor plate.

The glulam columns are set away from the building elevations, responding to the tree root protection zone. Whilst their repeating rhythm seeks to create another ‘avenue of trees’ inside the building. The building exterior is clad in rough sawn timber planks with the wind-posts intentionally highlighted and tall glazed openings intended to break down the large scale of the building and reference the adjacent avenues of trees.