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Earth Trust Lab, Oxfordshire
A new-build Visitor Centre with internal and external spaces to educate local school children and day trip visitors.
Schools & Further Education - South East
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Project Overview
We were appointed by Earth Trust to help deliver this new-build Visitor Centre, which was to include internal and external spaces that would facilitate the education of local school pupils and day trip visitors.
The existing building was demolished and a large timber framed building was constructed in its place, creating a flexible learning and multi-use area.
Building on the clients' aim to use sustainable and natural materials, the building incorporated a central Rammed Earth Wall within the learning space. Rammed earth walls act as a natural heat and humidity regulator, which is extremely useful for spaces with significant flows of people.
We developed the design for the glulam timber frame using a combination of braced and moment connections, enabling a large flexible area to be created below. Additional works included the formation of a site-wide below ground drainage system and the refurbishment of existing timber frame barn structures.
Images copyright Agile Homes
The Challenge
The design brief was to celebtrate natural materials in the building wherever possible.
Our Solution
Building on the client's ethos, sustainable and natural materials were used, including the incorporation of a central rammed earth wall within the learning space.
Project Highlights
Key sustainable features:
Rammed earth wall
Straw insulation
Glulam timber frame
Wildflower roof
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