An Award-Winning Sustainable Building Showcasing Modern Timber Construction

Instructed by Willmott Dixon on behalf of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, the Brunel Centre is a three-storey, sustainability-focused education and innovation hub designed to champion low-carbon construction. The development features an engineered timber frame formed from cross-laminated timber (CLT) walls and floors, complemented by photovoltaic brise-soleil and high-performance building fabric.

Craddys were appointed to deliver full civil and structural engineering services from feasibility through to completion (RIBA Stages 1–6). Our scope included the design of the substructure, cantilevering brise-soleil frames, below-ground drainage and external works, as well as the outline design and performance specification for the CLT superstructure.

Delivered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project demanded close coordination between design and site teams to maintain progress and ensure cost certainty. The Brunel Centre has since received multiple awards and nominations, standing as a benchmark for sustainable, off-site timber construction within the education sector.