The Royal Docks Learning & Activity Centre (RDLAC) in Newham, East London has had a Community Garden Room created for their community. Studio Bark, a pioneering architectural practice used Metsä Wood's Kerto® LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) as well as materials from other suppliers to create the perfect break out space.
The Community Garden Room was constructed using Studio Bark’s ‘U-Build’ system, an open panel timber frame system which the company is planning to officially launch in 2017. This project presented Studio Bark with an opportunity to test the first full-scale prototype of ‘U-Build’ and to see how it performed in practice.
The room was constructed using a number of U-Build modules which were built using Metsä Wood’s 39mm Kerto-S beams. The modules where then bolted together to form the buildings shell. Kerto-S was used as it’s strong, light, easy to cut and also perfect for long spans.
THE U-BUILD MODULES
Kerto is a laminated veneer lumber product used in all types of construction. It is produced from 3mm thick rotary-peeled softwood veneers that are glued together to form a continuous sheet which makes it incredibly strong and dimensionally stable. There are two types of Kerto available, Kerto-S and Kerto-Q.
The Community Garden Room was built over a two week period with the help of 50 architectural students from the University of East London who participated in the design and construction of the structure. Once the shell had been built, the walls were fitted with plywood and the Kerto-S beams in the roof and around the windows were left exposed. Watch the video below to see the Community Garden Room being built.