Cobalt Place, Surrey Lane

Cross-laminated timber design improves sustainability

This development showcases impressive sustainability credentials by utilising cross-laminated timber (CLT) to create a building with significantly lower embodied carbon compared to a traditional RC design.

The project was specifically designed with CLT in mind. The prefabricated nature of the CLT panels enabled rapid construction, resulting in a 15-week timeline for erecting the structural frame, which enhanced the project’s sustainability credentials.

This initiative is part of our commitment to establish an industry-leading system for analysing sustainability from both environmental and economic perspectives. As standard practice, Walsh evaluates the life cycle impact of embodied carbon on projects.

Our thorough environmental analysis of Cobalt Place revealed that the combined embodied carbon of the buildings was 41% less than that of a comparable RC structure. According to the carbon offset systems implemented by the London Borough, the CO₂ emissions savings achieved by using a timber frame instead of an RC frame would equate to a cost savings of between £3.2 million and £4.8 million.

Throughout the project, several technical challenges arose. For instance, the proposed cantilevers for the balconies could not be created using CLT. Instead, the design team developed a custom support framework solution. This tailored approach simplified on-site construction and connection detailing while minimising the amount of steel required.