This project is a sensitive first floor addition, in the leafy suburbs of Johannesburg. A new main bedroom suite is realised in cross-laminated timber.
Family Taylor
C3, Node, Sustainabuild Projects, MTT
17 m3
17t CO2e
Two of the benefits of cross-laminated timber are a high strength-to-weight ratio (specific strength) and rapid prefabrication in a controlled environment. This means that a CLT building can be both light-weight, as well as being manufactured to a high tolerance and millimetre accuracy. These two characteristics were well utilised in House Taylor where a small timber box is gently placed on an existing residence, as part of additions and alterations to the property.
Thanks to its compact size - approximate 50 m2 and only 17 m3 of timber - the addition could be meticulously designed and detailed. Due to its low mass, the CLT structure could be installed without reinforcement to the existing building. The scale of the project also allowed the entire structure to be produced and test assembled off-site, ensuring a smooth installation sequence and a risk-free trial run for the main contractor. House Taylor demonstrates a low-impact, high-value approach to adaptive re-use with cross-laminated timber.
