Circle Quantity Surveyor and Employer’s Agent team recently joined our client HUB and main contractor Glencar on a technical visit to Germany to meet with engineered timber specialists HESS TIMBER. The visit took place at HESS’s head office and manufacturing facility near Miltenberg and marks an important stage in preparing for the delivery of the mass timber structure for Trehus, a high-profile, low-carbon office development in the heart of Maidenhead.
Bringing advanced timber engineering to Maidenhead
The trip to HESS TIMBER provided valuable insight into the technical aspects of the frame’s manufacture and detailing. The factory tour included full-scale reviews of the timber elements, technical design meetings and the opportunity to inspect engineered components for the Trehus scheme.
The HESS team showcased their expertise in complex timber fabrication, including examples of curved beams with tight radii and continuous spans of over 30 metres. These manufacturing capabilities highlight the potential of modern timber construction to meet demanding architectural and structural requirements.
What’s next?
The Trehus frame is scheduled to arrive on site in December 2025. It will consist of over 400 metres cubed of Baubuche beams and columns, and around 5,500 square metres of CLT spruce elements to form the floor slabs.
Successfully delivering a building of this scale and complexity in mass timber requires early and effective collaboration between client, design team, supplier and contractor. Circle are working closely with Glencar, HESS TIMBER, HUB, Smedvig and Waugh Thistleton Architects to ensure that performance, quality and cost are carefully balanced throughout the project. Circle have been appointed as Quantity Surveyor for the scheme and have led the cost planning process from the early design stages. This has included managing the pre-planning cost plan, integrating the timber frame supply chain into the project team and ensuring alignment between design ambition and budget.
Trehus represents a bold step forward in sustainable office development and will stand as a landmark for modern timber construction in the UK.
Circle is acting as Quantity Surveyor on Trehus, a landmark timber-framed, low-carbon office development in the heart of Maidenhead. We offer a full suite of commercial services to support sustainable projects like this across the UK.
