dRMM has started construction on the world’s first permanent building made of hardwood cross-laminated timber (CLT). designed for maggie’s — an independent charity that provides emotional and social support for people with cancer and their family and friends — the healthcare facility utilizes CLT’s strength to create a warm and uplifting building that offers hope to those affected by cancer.

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all images courtesy of dRMM

 

 

constructed entirely of american tulipwood CLT, dRMM’s design for ‘maggie’s oldham’ hovers over a garden designed by jinny blom, supported on slender columns. the garden offers ‘open air rooms’ framed by pine and birch trees, with a reflecting pool of rainwater discovered underneath the building. ‘from this central oasis trees grow up through the building, bringing nature into the interior,’ explain the architects. ‘on entering the deliberately simple timber box over a bridge, the visitor is confronted with space, light, trees and unexpected views down to the garden pool below, up to the sky, and out to the pennine horizon.’

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the design hovers over a garden supported on slender columns

 

 

tulipwood CLT was invented in a collaboration between dRMM, the american hardwood export council (AHEC) and engineering firm arup for the london design festival project ‘endless stair’. since then, the structural boundaries have been extended in ‘the smile’, an installation for the 2016 london design festival by alison brooks architects.

 

maggie’s oldham is expected to complete in summer 2017, and will incorporate artwork by dutch artist petra blaisse of inside outside.

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the garden offers ‘open air rooms’ framed by pine and birch trees

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a reflecting pool of rainwater can be discovered beneath the building

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construction on the project is underway in northern england
image © tom etchells

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tulipwood CLT was invented for dRMM’s london design festival project ‘endless stair’
image © jonas lencer

 

 

project info:

 

name: maggie’s oldham
location: oldham, UK
client: maggie’s
architect: dRMM
structural engineer: booth king
building services engineer: atelier ten
landscape consultant: jinny blom

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