Design Solution · Structural Systems
Design Solution · Dream about it
Doubly curved timber gridshell over linked production domes.
An undulating laminated-timber gridshell of around 380,000 individually shaped components spans five linked domes over the production hall, using timber to achieve large, doubly curved spans. Digital fabrication makes the near-unique pieces buildable. The system delivers a low-carbon long-span roof of complex geometry.
A doubly curved laminated timber gridshell over five linked production domes — roughly 380,000 individually shaped components — achieves large clear-span coverage of complex geometry in a material with low embodied carbon relative to steel or reinforced concrete. The precedent for large timber gridshells exists and is growing: the Savill Building, the Weald and Downland grid shell, and various European examples demonstrate the structural principle at building scale. What makes this particular case unusual is the scale of component individuality: 380,000 near-unique pieces presupposes digital fabrication capacity that was not available a decade ago and is still not universally accessible in the supply chain. The claimed evidence status means no independently verified structural performance data or post-occupancy review sits on this record. The trade-offs a specifier should press on are fabrication lead time and cost (bespoke components at this count carry procurement and programme risk), timber moisture management in an industrial production environment, and the inspection and maintenance access that a complex curved roof surface demands over its lifetime — the elegance at completion can mask significant long-term asset management complexity.
#timber gridshell #long span #digital fabrication