However, the demands of these projects often require timber to be married with more traditional structural components such as steel and concrete to meet budgets, schedules and architectural constraints, making hybrid construction the only practical option.
Our hybrid buildings offer unrivalled versatility when compared to any other design concepts. As the UK’s leading hybrid frame construction business, we offer bespoke solutions to meet exacting client briefs.
Why use hybrid structures?
Hybrid structures often occur as an architectural, sustainable or structurally feasible alternative to original schemes. Whilst pure timber solutions are an excellent alternative to traditionally built concrete or steel structures, hybrid buildings can offer unprecedented benefits to clients. By marrying timber with traditional components, hybrid structures can negate the cost of some projects whilst simultaneously decreasing the time spent working on site. In especially complex builds, hybrid solutions offer the best value for money and time without sacrificing the benefits that timber products provide.
What is a hybrid structure?
The term 'hybrid' refers to any building that is made up of more than one material. In essence, most buildings are a hybrid when you examine them in depth. However, our view of a hybrid is a timber project that utilises the benefit of another material. Our considerable experience as a steel fabricator means that a lot of our hybrid structures marry steel with elements like CLT but options like concrete are used occasionally.
There are a number of combinations to suit any requirement, for example: as an alternative to concrete, CLT panels offer an innovative solution for use in multi-storey applications. Steel continues to act as the supporting frame with the CLT used for floor and wall panels. The steel and timber then share the gravitational and lateral load transfer.
Steel columns can be paired with glulam beams to create a structurally efficient yet visually attractive structure. Steel ties can be an alternative to timber elements when a slim and elegant solution is required, whereas a timber alternative to a steel gridshell would be a more attractive option to a client with sustainable aspirations. Timber creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere whilst steel adds elegance and minimises intrusion into floor plates.