Nottingham University wins TTJ Ecobuild award with Saint-Gobain's backing

Nottingham University's H.O.U.S.E timber-based building project won the inaugural TTJ/Timber & Sustainable Building Timber at Ecobuild prize.

The zero carbon H.O.U.S.E, engineered and designed by Nottingham architectural and engineering students, was developed with technical and materials input from Saint-Gobain Group and featured a closed panel timber frame structure from Pasquill and 'thermowood' radiata pine external cladding and maple handrails from fellow group company International Timber. The building is the university's entry in the international Solar Decathlon competition which will be held in Madrid in the summer.

The Timber at Ecobuild Award was presented at the show to Pasquill managing director Stuart McKill and the Nottingham team by TTJ/Timber & Sustainable Building editor Mike Jeffree.

The winner was described by the three independent judges, Camilla Hair, SCA Timber PR; Peter Travis, marketing and advertising consultant; and Keith Fryer of merchant T Brewer & Co as “vibrant”. They also said it was one of the main attractions of Ecobuild and a “pivotal display for timber and wood products”.

“The student architects and engineers manning the stand were some of the best ambassadors timber and timber building could have,” they said.

In addition, the judges described the partnership between academia and the timber building products business as “truly inspirational”.

Highly commended was engineered wood products and wood fibre insulation supplier Steico, whose stand presented an array of practical roof, wall and floor applications using its technology.

Also highly commended was English Woodlands Timber Ltd, which used its 3m² stand in the Timber Works area at Ecobuild to maximum effect to display cladding, decking and structural timber, primarily hardwoods.