Skinny house could have broad appeal

4 July 2014


A cross-laminated timber (CLT) three-storey building is being constructed in the granite city of Aberdeen.


Glulam Solutions has recently completed the structure for the Skinny House, so named because the building is only 2.85m wide.

The student accommodation, which comprises six studio units in two blocks linked by a central stairway, sits on a narrow site between a road and a railway cutting.

Glulam Solutions said CLT provided several benefits: the relatively light weight structure simplified the foundation design; the slim profiles of the individual elements maximised the internal space; and the three-day installation period kept disruption to a minimum.
The site is due for completion in August.

CLT has been used in Aberdeenshire before - as CLTherm, supplied by sister company Hybrid Build Solutions - but the Skinny House is the first time it has been used for the entire structure.

Hybrid Build Solutions is also working on a CLT multi-occupancy residential scheme which is in the design stages.

The Skinny House is just 2.85m wide