Timber Frame & Straw Bale Infill Office HQ
Our client, a renowned market leader in supply and installation of renewable energy systems, wind turbines, solar PV and biomass boilers, approached Cave to design an office that reflected the client’s sustainable ethos and provided space to house their rapidly growing team.
Cave designed a super energy efficient & modern two storey timber frame structure to be infilled with strawbale walls to provide U-values of up to 0.13W/m2K. The main roof will house a full solar PV array as well as living roofs on the smaller roof sections. The building will need minimal heating, but for cold winter days there is underfloor heating powered by a biomass boiler. The roof will also be used to harvest rainwater to flush toilets and irrigate landscaping.
The walls will be clad with a mixture of waney timber weatherboarding and lime render. Internal walls will be plastered with lime. The South facade has a beautiful solar shade to keep the offices cool in the summer but allow warming winter sun in.
Our timber frame and straw bale infill office project gained planning approval in 2014.