We recently tackled a unique brief: our client, acting as both architect and builder, wanted to remove the entire rear wall of a three-storey home in Lewisham to create an open-plan, wrap-around timber and hemcrete extension. Instead of conventional steel supports, they wanted glulam beams. We designed a frame where a glulam beam supports the rear elevation, itself supported by a truss to control deflection and maximize stiffness. The tricky part? The masonry wall sits on the truss’s bottom chord, forcing the diagonals out of plane—creating some unusual design challenges. Every connection was carefully designed with the client to make construction possible. Once complete, the exposed glulam beams will be a feature of the interior design and bring warmth and a natural feel inside. Seeing this on-site taught us valuable lessons, and we now have ideas to make the system simpler, faster, and more cost-effective for future projects. #timber #sustainability #architecture #structuralengineering #structure #bucklandtimber #ODACE #refurbishment

Excited to share a few photos from our recent site visit to a private residence currently under construction in Herefordshire. The home is partially embedded into the hillside, with landscaped berms rising up to the rooftop—creating a building that sits naturally within the terrain while framing incredible views from both the living areas and the roof. The project was granted planning approval under Paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which allows for isolated homes in the countryside only where they demonstrate truly exceptional design quality, enhance their immediate setting, and respond sensitively to the defining characteristics of the local area. We’re proud to be part of the design team delivering the engineering services for this unique project, and it’s exciting to see it taking shape on site. #architecture #structuralengineer #structures #ODACE

We’ve just harvested the last of our sweet potatoes, marking the official end of this year’s growing season. What a summer it’s been! The warm weather did wonders for our fruit trees — we had an incredible pear harvest with several varieties thriving. The standout this year was the Seckel pear: small in size but huge in flavour. Truly little sugar bombs. A few exciting firsts too: we picked our very first pluots (plum–apricot hybrids), and they were unbelievably sweet — far better than anything you can find in stores. Our chilli plants also went wild this season. We turned the surplus into hot sauce and homemade ‘acchar’, and still have tubs stocked in the fridge to last us well into the year. Interestingly, the most productive plants came from seeds saved from a single chilli I bought at Aldi! As always, watermelon season was a highlight. Harvesting them with my son just before dinner has become a favourite ritual — nothing beats the aroma of a freshly cut, sun-warmed watermelon. We also experimented with a few novelties like yacon and jicama (also known as Mexican yam or ‘patate sinois’ in Mauritian Creole). Both were a success, and definitely benefitted from the warm summer. Of course, it wasn’t all wins. The heat and lack of rain were tough on leafy greens, and our winter squash struggled with the dry conditions. Still, it’s been a rewarding season overall — full of learning, firsts, and plenty of good eating. #foodforest #vegetables #fruits #sustainability

Our recent visit to India has been an incredibly rewarding journey. One of the highlights was spending time with the College of Forestry in Gujarat, where we delved into the potential of bamboo as a sustainable alternative to conventional timber. We explored various bamboo species and their suitability for different applications—an eye-opening experience that deepened my appreciation for this versatile material. I’m increasingly convinced of bamboo’s critical role in helping the construction industry lower its embodied carbon footprint. Plenty of exciting developments on the horizon—stay tuned! #ODACE #Sustainability #Architecture #Engineering #LowCarbon

The winter squash harvest marks the end of the growing season for us. We still have some parsnips, carrots and kale in the ground which will come handy in the coming months. I’m pleased to share photos of this year’s bounty. Although we had an appalling summer, we still managed to grow melons and sweet potatoes and harvested hundreds of aubergines and peppers which highlight the benefit of creating a microclimate by warming up the ground with a sheet of black plastic early during spring. We also tasted our first gooseberries, cherries, jostaberries and Chilean Guavas – really yummy. We’ve made some exotic additions to our food forest including jujubes, feijoas and mexicola avocados – it will be interesting to see how they turn out. #foodmiles #foodforest #London #finchley #sustainability #climatechange #localproduce #organic #food #biodiversity #gardening #water #mentalhealth #workfromhomelife

🌟 Exciting Milestone in Hybrid Beam Research! 🌟 We've been hard at work breaking new ground (and loads of wood) and are thrilled to unveil the first images of our Cellular Hybrid Beam prototype, a pioneering system researched at the University of Cambridge. We’ve hit a key milestone by completing proof-of-concept tests. Highlights of our Cellular Hybrid Beam include: · Mass Production Feasibility: Efficiently mass-produced using existing technologies. · Integrated Services: Seamless integration within the web for enhanced functionality. · Precambering Capability: Accommodates dead load deflections, ensuring structural integrity. · Composite Action: Mobilizes composite action with mass timber floor panels, offering stiffness for large column grids with minimal steel. · Sustainable Design: Promotes sustainability by upcycling shallow reclaimed steel into deep hybrid beam sections. · Versatile Applications: Uses 'dry' technologies for rapid assembly and disassembly, with reusable components. · Aesthetic Innovation: Introduces an attractive wave form, opening new architectural possibilities. Our system has exceeded performance expectations. Designed for a total weight of 15 tonnes over a 7.2m span, it withstood an impressive 25 tonnes. The ductile failure of the floor system, accommodating severe deformation at peak load, underscores its robustness and safety. We’re excited to continue our collaboration with the Cambridge University Civil Engineering Department as this study moves to a PhD phase. Together, we aim to publish best practice guidance for designing and implementing hybrid steel/timber systems, advancing industry knowledge. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this achievement. We look forward to sharing more updates. Special thanks to KLH UK Limited, Metsä Group, Severfield, Buckland Timber, and Rothoblaas for donating materials and assisting in assembling the prototypes. Also, a special thanks to young Jiajiong (Jia) Liu for masterfully conducting the proof-of-concept research. #StructuralEngineering #Innovation #Research #UniversityofCambridge #CambridgeUniversity #Timber #sustainability #ODACE #netzeroemissions #Architectural Design

Dear friends and followers, Exciting news from the University of Cambridge! Our pioneering work on Long Span Cellular Hybrid beams has earned us a prestigious ESPRC Studentship for PhD research. This marks a collective stride in shaping the future of structural engineering through rigorous research and cutting-edge prototyping. Our journey has led to a groundbreaking long span composite timber and steel floor system—an elegant and economically viable alternative for open-plan offices. Early indicators suggest a revolutionary system using a fraction of the steel in common mass timber constructions, promising safer and more efficient installations, transcending mere functionality. But the innovation doesn't stop there! Our meticulously crafted design is dismountable, allowing for component reuse at a building's end of life, achieving a rare harmony between sustainability and structural brilliance. Ready to join us on this engineering excellence journey? Aspiring minds are invited to apply for the PhD Studentship:--- > /job/45362/. For more information, DM us directly. Let's forge ahead into a future where architecture meets innovation, breaking boundaries and resonating progress. Stay tuned for images of prototypes and preliminary results. #CambridgeUniversity #innovation #architecturaldesign #structuralengineering #ODACE #architecture #structuraldesign #timber #offices #sustainabledesign

Only snagging left to be done but the elegance of the frameless corner door already shines in this extension to a Grade 2 listed residence in Hackney. We re-used and adapted most of the existing steelwork to create the cantilevering structure which allows for this beautifully designed space by Schmid Architects. #dontmoveimprove #designconsultancy #architecturaldesign #madeinlondon #retrofit #refurbishment #structuralengineering #ODACE #SchmidArchitects

A few photos of the completed refurbishment at Umfreville Road, London where we have provided structural engineering services. The property now features a double storey height space at the rear which allows light to flood into the common areas. Enjoy! #merretthoumollerarchitects #dontmoveimprove #designconsultancy #architecturaldesign #madeinlondon #retrofit #refurbishment #structuralengineering #ODACE

Happy Hallo-WEE-n!!! What’s more fitting for Halloween than a story about pumpkins and winter squashes. It's our first year of growing them in our food forest and it's been a bumper harvest of 52kg which will last us all winter. The twist is that the plants were only fertilised with urine, there was no compost or artificial fertiliser added and the results have been impressive. Some of the squashes are enormous; you can see a pint of 'apple juice' (wink wink) on the table for size comparison. So why do it? Urine is full of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are the nutrients plants need to thrive—and the main ingredients in common artificial fertilisers. The latter are derived from fossil fuels which we will eventually run out of, not to mention that the global oil & gas supply has been severely curtailed by the Russia – Ukraine conflict. The production of artificial fertilisers is also responsible for 1.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. So how do I do it? You'll be glad to know that I don't just walk onto my garden, unzip my pants and 'unload' it on my plants (this actually rhymes). I instead collect the urine out of sight, dilute it with water in a watering can before applying directly to the roots of fruiting plants, taking care not to douse my leafy greens - although I would probably not mind a bit of salt on my salads (kidding). Fresh urine is sterile by the way and part of the natural nitrogen and water cycles…. In essence, it somehow finds its way back to your dinner plate, so there is really nothing yucky about it. It’s also worth also pointing out that even a low flush toilet uses 6 litres of water per flush. Recycling you own body waste at home would reduce tap water consumption and the burden on the municipal sewer system. As the global human population is about to exceed 8 billions by the end of November 2022, let’s all do our 'wee' bit for a sustainable future. Happy Halloween and Too-de-loo! #foodmiles #foodforest #London #finchley #sustainability #climatechange #localproduce #organic #food #biodiversity #gardening #water #recycling #sustainable

Minimalist stair construction in progress. Great work done by the contractor #ZedWorks so far. Looking forward to seeing the final finished product. #stairs #structuralengineer #ODACE #madeinlondon #refurbishment #steelstructures #steeldetailing #steelframe #structuralengineering #zedworksdesign #zedworks