Tree management centre westonbirt

Tree Management Centre, WestonbirtTwo buildings for Westonbirt Arboretum constructed from wood from thesite, including some timbers so large they are being hand-hewn, ratherthan milled.Tree Management Centre,Westonbirt Arboretum,GloucestershireThe projectThe new Tree Management Centre forWestonbirt Arboretum, under construction in2015, comprises two buildings: a big singlespanworkshop, and a smaller welfare buildingfor the tree team.“What makes the workshopinteresting is the size of thesections used – the curved23m bottom chords, and thechunkyness of all the othertimber. It’s like a supersizedbarn - drawings don’t showhow big it is!”- Piers Taylor, Invisible Studiowww.wfbp.co.uk

Construction methodThe workshop needs to be “sturdy enough to cope with atractor bumping into it”. It is effectively a simple barn ona larger scale: a series of huge king post trusses, generallywith traditional joints with some additional steel bracing.The welfare building will be built from green timber,through a series of student workshops, using processes thatwill accommodate the lower skilled participants.The timber storyDesigner Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio comments : “Itwould normally be an extravagance to build with so muchtimber, but there is an abundance on site.” Much of thetimber is available from routine tree management, and theaim is to use the timber without having to take it away formilling.The teamClient:Architect:Timberspecilaist:Engineers:Contractors: TBAWestonbirtArboretumInvisible StudioCharley BrentnallBuro HappoldDate of completion:Still under constructionPontrilas timber, HerefordshireDownload fact sheet hereThe large workshop span uses 20m long Corsican pine beamswhich are being hewn by hand. Typically you can’t usetimber this size as it is too big to transport but by handhewingon site, it can be used full-sized.Structures: Corsican pineCladding: Wellingtonia, larch & oakImages: courtesy of Invisible Studio