Coed y Brenin Visitor Hub

North Wales

A 400m2 extension to an existing Forestry Commission visitor centre which includes a new bike shop and hire facility on the ground floor, with a multi-functional conference/meeting room and cafe overflow area on the first floor, along with facilities offering 24-hour public access. The extension was made entirely from Welsh timber, setting new standards in energy efficiency and is constructed using Brettstapel – an innovative solid timber solution from the continent. Brettstapel timber panels are lamellae of timber, secured together with driven hardwood dowels rather than glues. Only a handful of buildings in the UK have been built using Brettstapel, and none have used UK timber in their panels, so this project was a first and required careful consideration of the details and performance of the timber product.