Fundraising for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund

What an incredible day we had on Wednesday, 9th October at Lowfield and SJ Roberts Construction Ltd. Our fundraising for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund was a huge success, raising an amazing amount while enjoying plenty of delicious cake for a truly magnificent cause.

Thank you to all the employees who made cakes and those who did a cracking job eating them!

If you would like to continue supporting our mission and help us raise even more funds for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, we would be grateful for any donations via our Just Giving page. Together, we can keep making a positive impact and help this remarkable charity continue its life-changing work.

STA Success

On 2nd October, members of Lowfield Timber Frames attended the Structural Timber Awards. They won the ‘Social Housing Project of the Year’ category for their work on the Girton Almshouses in Cambridgeshire with Mole Architects. Lowfield and Mole Architects went on stage together to accept the award.

Dovehouse Court is a low-rise, community-centred, accessible housing development. It provides permanent housing for over-55s who can live independently within the community.

The development contains 15 energy-efficient, one-bedroom homes, suitable for couples or single residents. It includes five bungalows and two apartment buildings.

The scheme also features a new office for the charity, located next to the homes. It accommodates up to four staff and can convert into a one-bedroom bungalow if needs change.

You can read the full case study here.

Lowfield also reached the shortlist for another category. Members from sister company SJ Roberts Construction and Bluestone Resort Wales joined them for the ‘Contractor of the Year’ award.

Arbour Bench Delivered to the Lingen Davies Centre

On Saturday 24th August, we made a bench donation by delivering, and installing a beautiful arbour outside the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund Centre.

We placed it at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in memory of Will ‘Choc’ Roberts. Will died aged 26 in December 2022 after bravely battling a brain tumour.

Lowfield Timber Frames and sister company SJ Roberts Construction Ltd chose the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund as their charity for 2024. During early discussions, we asked how else we could support the charity. When the idea of the bench came up, we knew we had to produce something special for Dave and Sue in memory of Will.

During the unveiling, Will’s parents Dave and Sue Roberts described the bench as an incredibly fitting legacy.

We thank Border Hardwood Ltd for donating the oak for the project and T.C.S (Shropshire) Haulage for delivering it.

Our team fabricated and assembled the bench in-house at our head office in Marton, on the Shropshire and Mid Wales border.

You can read the full story HERE.

We continue to raise as much money as possible for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. Please help us reach our goal by donating via our Just Giving page.

Keep up to date with all our latest news.

Bluestone Resort Award Success

Sister companies SJ Roberts Construction and Lowfield Timber Frames, both based in Lowfield near Welshpool, have been shortlisted for multiple industry awards, most notably for their work at Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire.

Throughout 2023, the two companies collaborated on the delivery of 80 luxury holiday lodges at the resort, with sustainability sitting at the centre of the design, construction and ongoing use of the units which formed part of a £24m investment by Bluestone.

Now, they have been shortlisted together in the ‘Best Use of Timber Technology’ category at the prestigious ‘Offsite Awards’, as well as in the ‘Contractor of the Year’ category at the ‘Structural Timber Awards’. The winners will be announced at awards ceremonies in September and October respectively.

Commenting on the shortlist announcements, Darren Jarman, managing director of Lowfield Timber Frames, said:

“With sustainability sitting at the heart of its multi-million-pound investment, Bluestone recognised the many benefits that timber has over traditional building materials. It’s sustainable and renewable and its production requires less energy. Being manufactured off-site, also allows for construction timelines to be condensed, minimising disruption to guests and the local community.

“We’ve, of course, been long convinced of these compelling proof points, but to be shortlisted for these awards on such a high-profile project that showcases timber frame construction is really fantastic.”

Mike Sambrook, managing director at SJ Roberts Construction, added:

“It’s always great to collaborate on a project with our sister company, Lowfield Timber Frames, but the work at Bluestone was particularly special given the potential audience that our work will reach.

“The lodges at Bluestone are not only an exemplar of sustainable construction, they’re also visually stunning. We’re delighted to be recognised for our role in this significant project.”

Lowfield Timber Frames has also received a second shortlisting in the Structural Timber Awards, in the ‘Social Housing Project of the Year’ category, for its work on the Girton Almshouses in Cambridgeshire which it collaborated with Mole Architects on. Darren Jarman concluded:

“Being recognised in several award categories demonstrates the sheer range of projects where timber frame construction provides an affordable, sustainable and visually compelling construction method. This project also achieved Passivhaus certification with its fabric first approach. We’re very much looking forward to the award ceremonies later this year.”

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On the 18th of July, we welcomed a group of Professional Forester Apprentices to our factory for a presentation and tour, to assist with their degree-level apprenticeship programme learning. More information on the Professional Forester Apprenticeship programme is available via ‘Kickstart your career in Forestry – Forestry Commission (blog.gov.uk)’.

The academic element of the course is being co-delivered by the University of Cumbria and the Forestry Commission. Apprentices are hosted and employed either by the Forestry Commission or with wider-sector organisations including the National Trust, Woodland Trust, Scottish Woodlands, Heart of England Forest and Euroforest.

The apprentices are currently studying for their Wood Utilisation and Processing Module. During this module, they will cover the biology of wood and how the properties of wood relate to timber properties and utilisation. By the end of the module, students will be able to assess potential end uses for standing trees, identify current markets for round timber, understand product optimisation, and learn how best to maximise return from harvested trees.

To help embed their learning, Forestry Commission Apprenticeship Lecturers Lajla Cash and Sid Cooper took the group of apprentices to visit a number of sites along the Welsh border to see examples of primary timber harvesting (including coppice, softwood and hardwood stands); different examples of secondary processing of harvested timber through sawmills (ranging from smaller estate-based facilities to highly mechanised, high output operations); and the final processing of timbers into end-use and engineered wood products for specific markets – which is where Lowfield Timber Frames came in!

“Your support of our apprentices is very much appreciated, and they gained so much from seeing first-hand the engineered timber products that you then process into housing frames, joists and, together with oak logs, into feature joinery. Particularly relevant was the post-tour presentation, especially the discussion on the recent changes in Building Regs and the impact these will potentially have on increasing demand for timber-framed housing, which in turn will impact on the markets, prices and supply and demand for both imported and (hopefully) home-grown timbers – I know that this gave our apprentices much food for thought.” – Sid Cooper- Apprenticeship Lecturer, Forestry Commission.

If you would like to organise a factory tour of our facilities contact us today.

We are Cancer Champions

At the start of April members of our team took part in training to become Cancer Champions. The session was informative and the team found it very interesting and now have the knowledge and confidence to have those open conversations with friends, families and colleagues about cancer.

Cancer Champions come from a diverse range of backgrounds, who want to reduce the fears and barriers people may face in looking after their health. They are willing to talk to others to help reduce stigma around cancer, busting myths and sharing key messages. They want to make a real difference to people’s health by spreading the word that spotting cancer early saves lives.

Find out more about becoming a Cancer Champion here.

Running for Lingen Davies

Lowfield Timber Frames and sister company SJ Roberts Construction were proud to be headline sponsors for Welshpool 10k for the 3rd year running. As always, we had a great turnout of staff members to participate and volunteer at the event. Our next event is Newtown 10k on the 26th of May.

This year we are raising money for the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, please show your support and donate what you can via our Just Giving page and add your words of encouragement.

Great to attend another successful HBR Show!

Our team recently attended the Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the NEC Birmingham on the 21st-24th of March.

We met lots of people with a wide variety of projects on the horizon. We have progressed with many of these projects and can’t wait to help people make their dreams become a reality. Keep an eye on our case studies for any updates.

View some of our previous self-build projects here.

Lingen Davies secures year-long support from local businesses

Two Shropshire businesses have pledged their support throughout 2024 to Lingen Davies, a charity dedicated to supporting people impacted by cancer across Shropshire and Mid Wales.

Sister companies SJ Roberts Construction and Lowfield Timber Frames, both based in Marton on the Shropshire/Wales border, have a long history of supporting charities that impact the communities where they’re most active.  They have traditionally entered teams for a wide range of sporting events that include the Welshpool, Newtown and Oswestry 10k runs, the Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon, and a series of bike events.  The relationship with Lingen Davies will see this further extended to include the Shrewsbury Colour Run and other Lingen Davies events.

Managing Director of SJ Roberts Construction, Mike Sambrook, commented: “We’re proud of the dedication that the teams at SJ Roberts and Lowfield Timber Frames show each year as we raise as many funds as possible to support important local causes.

“Working with charities that are active in and around the locations where our teams are based is important and we decided to support Lingen Davies given the widespread impact that cancer has – indeed, members of our own team have benefitted from their support.”

As part of the partnership, the Lingen Davies team will visit both the SJ Roberts and Lowfield Timber Frames teams at their Lowfield base, as well as on-site, to deliver its LiveLife Cancer Awareness Service.  This delivers information aimed at helping prevent cancer, recognising the signs and symptoms of cancer, and encouraging people to seek treatment earlier, as well as accept cancer screening invitations.

Darren Jarman, MD at Lowfield Timber Frames, concludes:

“The Lingen Davies’ LiveLife Cancer Awareness Service was something that particularly appealed when we were considering which charity to support this year.  There can be a lot of bravado on construction sites and providing a means of destigmatising awareness and early detection, can only be a positive thing.

“I’m very much looking forward to getting involved in events this year that supports this important cause.”

Powys-based charity, Ponthafren has today received a significant donation from two-local businesses following a year of fundraising events.

Teams from sister companies SJ Roberts Construction and Lowfield Timber Frames, both based in Lowfield near Welshpool, undertook a series of fundraising events during 2023 that included both the Welshpool and Newtown 10k runs, Brynkinalt Running Festival, Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon, Oswestry 10k and a series of bike events.

In doing so, they raised £3,500 which will support the charity in its provision of positive mental health support services across mid-Wales.

Managing Director of SJ Roberts Construction, Mike Sambrook, commented: “The dedication that the teams at SJ Roberts and Lowfield Timber Frames have once again demonstrated to raising funds for a charity that they feel a connection with is quite phenomenal.

“The events that they’ve got involved in require significant personal commitment and this is reflected in the support that they’ve received.  Of course, getting involved in events is one thing, raising a sum such as that which we’ve today handed over to Ponthafren is quite another, and for that we must extend our thanks to not just the teams here, but to everyone who has supported us with donations.”

The teams also rolled out a series of cake sales, raffles and an office sweepstake.  Darren Jarman, MD at Lowfield Timber Frames, concludes:

“As a keen runner myself, I thoroughly enjoy the sporting events that we get involved in each year but to ensure that our fundraising efforts are inclusive across the whole business, it’s important that we don’t focus solely on these.

“We’ve received some fantastic support from local businesses who have donated prizes to our raffles and our cake sales are often of a ‘Bake Off’ standard!”

DIY SOS: The Big Build for Children in Need

Lowfield Timber Frames has donated its specialist timber frame design and manufacturing expertise to a “DIY SOS-Big Build” project in Risley, Derby for a special 10th-anniversary Children in Need episode. The kit was manufactured at our factory on the Shropshire/ Mid Wales border with the pre-insulated panels and roof cassettes erected on site in just 3 days, creating the external structure for a bespoke children’s counselling and therapy centre at Treetops Hospice.

The centre will hugely benefit bereaved children and their families across Derbyshire. Treetops works primarily with young people who are experiencing traumatic grief. The support they receive is invaluable, life-changing and helps them work through their grief. Improving mental health and wellbeing, Treetops is recognised as a centre of excellence for children’s counselling.

Tim Morris, Operations Director at Lowfields said, “It was truly humbling to be part of a programme that successfully unites, inspires, and motivates hundreds of volunteers to do good. We were amazed to discover that many of the trades who make these special projects happen are DIY SOS regulars, people who give up their time and expertise with no other motivation than to help others, there was a real sense of community and pride.”

The speed with which the DIY SOS team works is renowned, there was a good reason they chose a timber frame for the superstructure element of the project.

Kevan Hurst, Construction Manager at Lowfields explained, “We were on site a week before the scheduled 10-day build meaning the structure was water-tight within days, without the drying out period which is usually required when using traditional building methods. We were given a week to erect the kit but it only took us 3 days, the excellent weather helped but the kit was a credit to all involved.”

The insulation housed within the external walls of the structure allows enhanced thermal performance. With rising energy costs at the forefront of everyone’s minds, building thermally efficient buildings is now more important than ever.

Lowfields loved being part of DIY SOS-The Big Build. In addition to the transformational and moving impact for families going through a difficult time, the opportunity to make a difference also had a profound effect on the Lowfield Timber Frames team. It was remarkable to see the positive impact the building will have on the children at the centre for years to come.

It was a challenging but hugely rewarding project to be involved in. The whole team across Lowfield Timber Frames collaborated, and our supply chain immediately agreed to donate their services too. We would like to extend a huge thank you to our suppliers who came on board; Fengate Fasteners, Jordeson Timber, Maxpack, Metsawood, Paramount Structural Engineers, A Proctor Group, Recticel, SIG, Sodra & YB Fixings. We would also like to thank LACE Carpentry and Joinery along with MTC Crane Company for erecting the kit, it’s been a great team effort.

How it happened

Our managing director’s wife was listening to Zoe Ball on Radio 2 and heard an appeal that the DIY SOS team were desperately looking for a timber frame company to come on board for the Children in Need episode to help create a dedicated children’s bereavement centre in Derbyshire.

Initial discussions were had with the DIY SOS Assistant Producer to better understand what was required and we were put in contact with the lead Architect. It was clear from the outset that time was of the essence and it would need a huge amount of effort from the whole design team if the building was to be delivered on time.

We received the preliminary drawings within hours of making first contact and a costing exercise was carried out to establish the scope of the project.  Whilst we were committed to providing our expertise for the design and manufacture, it was clear we were going to need additional support from our supply chain to make it happen. After a couple of phone calls, it was all systems go and we threw ourselves into the project.

This required exceptional coordination between Lowfields and our design team, whilst issuing information for approval to two independent Project Architects, a Principal Engineer, the Client (Treetops) and the entire BBC Team. A project of this nature would normally take at least 12 weeks to undergo the design and engineering process. It wasn’t an overly complicated build, but it was the speed at which everything had to happen, whilst under the BBC spotlight, that was the pressure.

The team opted for a 140mm pre-insulated kit which achieved a U-value of 0.15W/m²K, which is far better than building regulation requirements. One challenge to overcome was that site access was extremely tight, but we managed to deliver the kit on rigid lorries resolving the issue.

Hodgkinson Builders were appointed the main contractor for the project and Managing Director Ian commented, “Lowfield Timber Frames designed, supplied and erected the timber frame for DIY SOS BIG BUILD supporting Children in Need at Risley. Such contributions from companies like Lowfield are what make these renovation projects a reality. By providing the necessary advice, materials, expert trades, they play an important role in improving the lives of families in need. Collaborative efforts like this demonstrate the positive impact that the business community can have on charitable initiatives, ultimately making a difference in the lives of those facing challenging circumstances.”

To erect the scheme in such a small window and ensure we did not over-run, we capitalised on off-site manufacture, prefabricating not just the wall panels, but including the roof cassettes and even suspended ceiling cassettes.  This enabled an erect window of 2 – 3 days, allowing a couple of days at the end of the week to snag and address any unforeseen problems, of which there weren’t any.

We loved working with the Treetops staff, they were all so appreciative of what we were doing for them. We don’t normally get so much praise for our work as it is often seen as the hidden element of a build.

Julie Heath, Chief Executive at Treetops Hospice:

“Our heartfelt thanks go to DIY SOS, BBC Children in Need, and all the tradespeople and volunteers who helped build us this beautiful children’s counselling and therapy centre. Your support and kindness has been truly overwhelming and you have built a lasting legacy for local bereaved children and young people.

“It’s incredible to see what was achieved in such a short space of time and it’s really beyond anything we could have imagined. Everything from the décor to the furnishings is just beautiful and it fits perfectly into the landscape here on site in Risley.

“Thank you, everyone, for giving us the best birthday gift during our 40^th anniversary year.”

The experience

Our advice to anyone wanting to take on a challenge like this is to expect last-minute changes but it is the most rewarding project you will work on and to meet all the young people whose lives you are changing is truly remarkable and a feeling that will stay with you for a very long time.

Darren Jarman, Managing Director at Lowfield Timber Frames commented:

“We have supported many community projects in the past, but nothing on this scale. We obviously only played a small part in making this happen, but the stories we have heard about the difference it’s going to make to the team at Treetops and the amazing people they are going to support has been truly overwhelming.  

For 2 weeks, it just becomes a surreal experience. You walk onto site and get chatting to Nick Knowles and the rest of the team. Gaby is introducing you to Zoe Ball. Chris, Billy, James and The Hod are orchestrating a hive of activity as TV cameras keep appearing around every corner. They are such a well-oiled team, and it was a pleasure to see how they all operate and just put you at ease.

Not only that, but it’s also the first time, and probably the last, that we will hand over a timber frame kit and get invited to the grand opening two weeks later!”

If you missed the episode you can catch up via the BBC iPlayer.

On the 12th and 13th of July, our MD Darren Jarman and Technical Co-ordinator James Roberts attended WoodBUILD 2023 in Lampeter. The conference and expo focused on trees, timber & the transition to zero carbon construction. The two-day event was packed with speakers, exhibitors and a series of plenary and parallel sessions. The aim of WoodBUILD was to inspire, create new business opportunities, offer a collaborative platform for all participants and to share information on current and future Welsh Government policies, and it most definitely delivered.

Darren was one of the speakers in the ‘Creating a manufacturing culture in housebuilding’ workshop, giving an insight into some of the Government funded projects we have been involved with and how these have paved the way in creating more timber frame, energy conscious projects within the construction industry.

Darren discussed that ‘As an independent manufacturer, we are some way down the supply chain and despite having a real appetite to innovate, without collaboration and the pipeline of work, it’s very difficult to bring new solutions to the market. At the top of the tree are the clients. They will have their own individual key requirements, be that cost, thermal performance, airtightness, space heating requirements and often familiarity of tech. Schemes are then sent out to tender and main contractors again have their own preferred methods of construction and will often stick with their tried and tested systems, unless there is a financial gain attached. This is why it is difficult for us to innovate without close collaboration with the whole supply chain.

In our opinion, encouraging a collaborative approach to innovation through the whole supply chain was one of the key successes to come out of the Welsh Governments Innovative Housing Programs. The scheme looked to support innovation in the broad context covering construction techniques, but also a delivery pathway. This approach forced many out of their comfort zone and encouraged closer collaboration with the manufacturers and the whole supply chain.’

It was great to be part of WoodBUILD 2023 and network with so many like-minded people throughout the industry, thank you to Woodknowledge Wales for organising the event.

Bluestone Lodges

Lowfield Timber Frames is proud to see the development at Bluestone reach a new milestone. The timber frame kits supplied ranged from wall panels to roof and floor cassettes, this resulted in the build taking less time than anticipated due to the speed of erecting such large off-site manufactured panels.

Sister company SJ Roberts Construction Ltd has handed over the first 50 of 80 luxury holiday lodges to Bluestone National Park Resorts Ltd in Narbeth, Pembrokeshire, marking the early completion of the first phase of the resort’s £24m investment programme.

The remaining lodges, all being brought forward by SJ Roberts, are due for completion by October of this year.

The platinum lodges are the resort’s most luxurious offering featuring sunrooms, a private entrance and 20 percent more space than the existing lodges.

Sustainability

In keeping with the resort’s eco-credentials, they have been constructed with sustainability in mind. SJ Roberts constructed the lodges with a sustainable approach utilising timber and heating via air source heat pumps.

Additionally, the paths which connect the lodges have been constructed utilising nappy recycling technology, which it said was ‘revolutionary’. Bluestone has become the first company in the world to utilise nappy recycling technology in the construction of infrastructure for its new range of Platinum Lodges, using 60,000 disposable nappies.

With an accumulation of up to half a million nappies at the resort each year, the Green Key accredited business decided to explore ways to recover the usable fibres from nappies and put them back into the resort as part of its commitment to a circular economy on site.

The ‘path project’ is the company’s latest innovation where recyclable materials from nappies are used to form the paths leading to its new £24m platinum lodge range.

Bluestone collaborated with Wales-based company Nappicycle, who are pioneering the technology.

The Project

The contract to deliver the luxury lodges was secured following a series of meetings and a recognition that there were significant synergies between both Bluestone and SJ Roberts.

Managing director of SJ Roberts Construction, Mike Sambrook, said: “The UK’s holiday industry has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years which shows no signs of abating. However, with this comes increased consumer demand in where they stay. Bluestone has recognised this in its most recent investment, and we’ve been honoured to deliver such a prestigious project for this hugely respected operator within the sector.”

During the duration of the contract approximately 100 local construction jobs will have been created, with many more expected over the long-term by Bluestone to manage the extended facilities.

Marten Lewis, director of sustainability at Bluestone, said:“The combination of SJ Roberts and Lowfield Timber Frames couldn’t have been a better option for Bluestone’s expansion. Our new platinum lodges not only exude the utmost in luxury, reflecting the quality and exemplary workmanship of the SJ Roberts team, but they do so with market-leading sustainability credentials.”

Darren Jarman, Managing Director at Lowfield’s commented, “Lowfield Timber Frames were happy to be working alongside our sister company SJ Roberts Construction on the Bluestone platinum lodges project. It was great to supply our high-quality sustainable timber frame kits to one of the most prestigious tourism sites in Wales. The finished project looks incredible, and we are proud to be a part of the journey.

Not only is timber a renewable and carbon-neutral material, but it also has the lowest CO2 impact of all building materials. Timber continuously absorbs CO2, reducing carbon footprint and environmental impact which makes it a highly sustainable product which was one of Bluestones key priorities for the project. Due to our panels being cut via high tech CNC machines, there is minimal waste in the manufacturing process.

There are many other benefits to using timber frame for a project like this, such as timber facilitates much faster construction than traditional materials. The weather did not present issues as factory-controlled prefabrication helps to avoid rain damage. The timber system was made watertight within days. One of the key benefits to using timber frame on this project was the speed of construction which highlights timber frame as an ideal material for innovative projects that must be completed to strict deadlines.”

To view other leisure and tourism projects completed by Lowfield Timber Frames visit our projects.

Passivhaus School – Lowfield Timber Frames is proud to see the school that was built by construction company Pave Aways win a major award.

Energy Efficient School

Size: 2754m2
U-value: 0.10
Air tightness: 0.21ach @50 pascals
System used: 390mm Larsen Truss with Warmcel Insulation

Lowfields supplied and erected the timber frame kit at the CIW primary school in Welshpool. The school was a large project built to Passivhaus certification.

Construction firm Pave Aways completed the main works to the pioneering Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School that meets the rigorous energy efficiency standards. Constructed around a sustainably sourced timber frame, it also has a heat recovery and ventilation system and solar panels on the roof to minimise running costs.

Powys County Council Website details the project below:

Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School, which opened its doors in January 2021, won the Value Award at the Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards 2023.

The awards ceremony, which are recognised across the Welsh built environment as the biggest and brightest celebration of best practice in Wales, took place last Friday (16 June) at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

The school building, which was built as part of the council’s Transforming Education Programme, had also been shortlisted in the Sustainability Award category.

The building, designed by Architype (Architects) and WSP (Engineering all Disciplines) and constructed by Pave Aways Ltd, is the first Passivhaus primary school built by the council and meets the rigorous energy efficient standards required for Passivhaus certification.

Constructed around a timber frame that was sustainably sourced in Wales, the school has a superior level of insulation and was built to be airtight. It also has a heat recovery and ventilation system and solar panels on the roof to minimise running costs.

The project was jointly funded by the Welsh Government, through its Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme (formerly the 21st Century Schools Programme), and the council.

Cllr Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys, said: “I’m delighted that Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School has won this prestigious award at the Constructing Excellence in Wales Awards.

“This is a brilliant achievement and I would like to congratulate and thank everyone involved in the construction of this pioneering building, including the school itself and the Diocese of St Asaph, for this success.

“Not only is this a fantastic facility that allows learners and teaching staff to reach their potential but it has been built to the highest energy efficient standards which helps the county reduce its carbon footprint.”

This is one of many projects Lowfield Timber Frames have been involved in that are built to Passvhaus (Passive House) standards. With a focus on sustainability and low energy Lowfields continue to promote energy efficient builds.

Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry Presentation & Tour

On the 10^th of March we hosted the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee who were investigating for their inquiry on Sustainable Timber and Deforestation. It was a pleasure to show them around our factory, enabling them to see the manufacturing process and how the timber is used.

The inquiry is to examine the sustainability of timber in the UK and the UK’s contribution to global deforestation. The inquiry will investigate how the UK, which imports most of its timber, can best scale up a sustainable, resilient domestic timber sector and reduce its reliance on imports. In addition, the inquiry will examine the degree to which UK supply chains contribute to deforestation overseas and the effectiveness of the government’s efforts to curb this. Consideration will also be given to how the UK works with international partners to tackle deforestation.

Darren Jarman, Managing Director at Lowfield said “It was a pleasure to the show the EOC around our operation and, as well as showcasing some of the exciting Net Zero projects we are involved with, highlight some of the challenges faced in sector.”

Lowfield Timber Frames provided the delegates with a presentation and a tour of their manufacturing facility to support the inquiry. The presentation demonstrated the current issues facing the timber frame industry which relies on high quality timber but also understands the importance of sustainability. They also suggested recommendations for the inquiry to look at including an emphasis on policies to reduce embodied carbon within the construction industry. The presentation was then later used as written evidence to the inquiry which you can read the full report here.

Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Rt Hon Philip Dunne & MP for Ludlow, said:

“It was a pleasure to visit Lowfield Timber Frames recently with colleagues on the Environmental Audit Committee. In Net Zero Britain, we must consider all alternative building materials as our built environment contributes a quarter of all UK greenhouse gas emissions: and timber framed buildings will be part of the solution. It’s encouraging to see thriving local companies – like Lowfield Timber Frames – leading the way in developing and delivering net zero construction.”

You can read more about the inquiry and other submitted evidence here.

Supporting Local Mental Health Charity

The brief – Activity for a raised bed workshop

The Community Garden Group at Welshpool Ponthafren, having previously built a large bug hotel, wanted to enhance the area by building raised beds to grow herbs and edible flowers that would help attract insects, pollinators and reptiles to the garden.

Tir Coed kindly provided a tutor who facilitated the day, imparting his knowledge, expertise and time to assist the group in making the raised beds.

Morrisons Community Connector also attended the day and kindly donated plants, seeds & compost for the community garden, along with joining in with the building of the raised beds.

Lowfield Timber Frames Ltd donated the timber, for which they were very grateful for as this enabled the workshop to go ahead. Although most of the timber was used there is enough left over for another smaller project to be completed.

Powis Castle National Trust kindly provided an area for the Community Garden Group and whilst they were happy for Ponthafren to use this area to grow vegetables and flowers, they are also very supportive and happy to provide both knowledge and practical help if needed.

Members of the Community Garden Group will gain a feeling of accomplishment and pride when they can see the fruits of their labour, they also value the support they receive from each other, which in turn helps with their mental health and well-being needs.

All involved enjoyed having a project that not only enhances what they are doing at the garden but also helps with team building and cohesiveness of the group. The group hope to undertake more projects over the coming months as the garden develops to enhance their environment and welcome new members to the group each week.

A fantastic project to support. We look forward to seeing the progress of the garden. Read the full story in the press.

#ToHelpMyAnxiety

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.

**June Update**

Congratulations for winning the RHS Primary School Gardening Team of the Year 2023 UK Champions! From all of the team at Lowfield Timber Frames. We welcome good news stories and being able to support local organisations. The article can be read here.

April 21st 2023 – Lowfield Timber Frames have been supporting the pupils at Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School since September 2022. They approached us with a request to use any off-cuts of timber we may have to enable the pupils to build an outdoor area at their school. Since then they have kept us updated with all their great projects with links to their website and photographs.

Today the school contacted us with more updates and the exciting news below:

“I’ve received this exciting email off the Royal Horticultural Society today ?. I entered the RHS School Gardening Team of the Year 2023 competition a few weeks ago, in recognition of the hard work the children have put into helping establish our outdoor spaces. I am very pleased to announce we have reached the top 10 finalists for the competition nationally! We now have to send in a video to show off our lovely achievements to a celebrity gardening panel for the final round of judging. Two winners will be chosen from the shortlist of ten and notified towards the end of May. Whether we do get one of the two top spots or not, to have reached this far is a massive achievement for our school and I just want to say thank you so much for your help and support with our projects. It really is much appreciated, and we are so glad you have helped us on our journey and adventures so far,

Thank you and best wishes”

Just a couple of examples of the work they have been doing can be seen here:

Making a Lumber Horse April 2023 – Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School

Building Benches April 2023 – Sir Alexander Fleming Primary School

They have set up a just giving page to help them further in buying more tools for their hard work:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/siralexanderflemingprimaryschooloutdoorlearningappeal?utm_term=RYEJz3gXw

Welshpool 10k Success!!

Well done to everyone who ran the Welshpool 10k on the 26th of March, it was a great morning! We were proud to be headline sponsors alongside our sister company SJ Roberts Construction Ltd.

Congratulations to local runner Andrew Davies who crossed the line first!

This year, we are continuing our fundraising efforts by participating in Adrenaline Sporting Events to raise money for Ponthafren, a charity aiming to provide a caring community, offering support to those in need by promoting positive mental health and well-being for all.

If you would like to donate, please visit our donation page.

Wood Utilisation and Processing

On the 28th of February we welcomed a group of students to our factory for a presentation and tour, to assist with their programme “Kickstart your career in Forestry” by the Forestry Commission.

The apprentices are studying for their Wood Utilisation and Processing Module, this aims to provide the students with an understanding of the utilisation of wood as a raw material. During this module, students will cover the biology of wood and how the properties of wood relate to its potential utilisation. All of the main uses for wood will be considered and the process applied to the conversion of wood into the end product will be considered in detail. By the end of the module, students will be able to assess potential end uses for standing trees, identify current markets and understand product optimisation and how best to maximise yield.

The outcome of the visit was to assist in the understanding of:

• Knowledge of where the wood we use comes from, home grown/imported.
• What challenges do we face in wood supply and quality etc.
• Why wood is a sustainable product and how it contributes to carbon-zero house building.
• If we use any other wood products such as glulam, ply/chip/mdf and or wood insulation.
• The overall design process etc.
• Understand the biology and process of wood formation in trees and how wood properties relate to utilisation.
• Wood properties and their relationship to utilisation
• Identify appropriate markets and valuations for a range of wood products.

“It was such a great way to start off our week and see all the timber products the students had learnt about the week before being put to practical use in your houses. It really helped complete the picture of why we grow timber and where it goes.”- Lajla Cash, Apprentice Lecturer.

The students successfully gained the knowledge they needed for Wood Utilisation and Processing.

“Kickstart your career in Forestry“

Discuss Timber Frame At The Homebuilding & Renovating Show – Our Self-build specialists welcome you to visit our stand D156 at the Homebuilding & Renovating Show at the NEC 23rd-26th March 2023.

It is that time of year again and we are looking forward to exhibiting at this popular show.

Do you want a quick building method?

Do you want better safety and quality standards?

Do you want to reduce building delays, noise and disturbance?

Do you want to build more sustainably and lower carbon?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, let our friendly team talk you through our process. Whether you’re mid-way through a project or don’t know where to start, the Homebuilding & Renovating Show is brimming with bright ideas. Swap months of scouring the internet for face-to-face consultations, our specialist team are ready to discuss your next project.

This year our chosen charity is Ponthafren, a charity aiming to provide a caring community, offering support to those in need by promoting positive mental health and well-being for all.

Lowfield Timber Frames and SJ Roberts Construction are resuming our fundraising efforts by continuing to participate in Adrenaline Sports Events and other events throughout the year.

We are proud to be headline sponsors for this year’s Welshpool 10K. This will be our first event of the year, taking place on Sunday 26th March, and whilst there are still a few weeks to go, we’re already very excited for another year packed full of incredible events! Watch this space to find out about our future challenges!

Find out more about our chosen charity Ponthafren: https://www.ponthafren.org.uk/

We would really appreciate any support in raising money for such a worthy cause. You can donate here https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/2023-fundraising-for-ponthafren

Thank you for your support.

Any further queries please contact us.

This year we have been busy raising funds for the Shropshire Mental Health charity. Our team members have participated in numerous running challenges throughout the year raising a total of £2,500. These included Welshpool 10K, Oswestry 10K and the Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon. Great effort by those who participated and thank you to all who donated.

Ruth Pemberton from Shropshire Mental Health Support commented “We would just like to a huge thank you the team at LTF & SJR for all your incredible fundraising efforts. Your fundraising initiative throughout the year is something to be admired! This generous donation will make a big difference in our community, every penny raised will help in our fight to make sure everybody suffering with mental ill health gets the support and respect they deserve.”

You can still donate here 

James receives his MBE

James Roberts Technical Co-ordinator at Lowfield Timber Frames collected his MBE from Windsor Castle on Tuesday the 8^th of November from His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.

James received his MBE following an impressive international sporting career which included scoring 24 tries in an historic victory over the USA to become the first ever Great British and European wheelchair rugby team to win a Paralympic gold medal.

James commented: “I felt very lucky to meet the Prince of Wales, he was a really lovely chap. He asked what I was doing and he said I looked too young to be retired. I’m quite happy to be retired so we had a bit of a joke. My nan is a massive fan of the Queen and the Royal Family, she was over the moon to visit a royal palace so that was exciting for her. My dad was absolutely thrilled as well. It was really nice to share the day with them as they weren’t able to come out to Tokyo. It’s been nice to share these moments with them.”

James has had an impressive international sporting career which has seen him win three European Championship gold medals and represent Team GB at two Paralympic Games including Rio and Tokyo.

Well done James, well deserved!

2KDR60J James Roberts is made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by the Prince of Wales, during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Tuesday November 8, 2022.

Completion of Passivhaus Primary School

We have recently completed the £11 million Frenchay CofE Primary School, which is the first Passivhaus school in South Gloucestershire. Building work began in June 2021 with Lowfield Timber Frames Ltd supplying and erecting the timber structure. The project delivered new energy efficient, low impact facilities. Key features of the design included high levels of insulation, triple glazing, low energy LED lighting, heating provided by air-source heat pumps and recycling of heat through a Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery (MVHR) system, which also ensures good air quality throughout the school.

This project was the first of three Passivhaus schools for BAM Construction. We are currently working on the second school with BAM at Elm Park and have another Passivhaus school due on-site next year. We have a great working relationship with BAM and look forward to future projects together.

View more of our education case studies here.

Great to be sponsoring Shrewsbury U12 Eagles’ new kit. We are proud to be supporting a local team of young footballers. Good luck for all your games!

Shrewsbury Up & Comers are a Junior Football Club, currently running over 40 boys and girls teams from Under 7 through to adults. They attract a large number of young children from age 4, through their Kickers sessions supported by Passmaster coaching. They have been playing football since 1974 in the local Shropshire leagues . The club’s aim is to provide the opportunity for young players to develop their football and social skills in an enjoyable and safe environment.

The current U12 Eagles team have been playing together for 5 seasons and are grateful to Lowfield Timber Frames for sponsoring their new away kit as like all 11 year olds, they are growing fast! They have had a strong start so far this season, winning several matches home and away.

20 years of service

Steve Penrose, Procurement Manager, has reached the 20 year milestone with Lowfield Timber Frames. Starting back in 2002, Steve joined as only one of three panel makers plus one sawyer. As the company grew, Steve Roberts, Group Chairman extended the factory for the first of many times at our premises in Marton and has shown no signs of slowing down since.

Over the years, Steve has been involved in almost every corner of the business from saw operator to fork lift truck driver, panel making and even erecting kits on site. During his time as Factory Manager the company also tasked Steve in overseeing the business accreditation’s and moved on to become Lowfield’s Buyer.

All the team here would like to say a big thank you to Steve for his years of loyal service, being an invaluable member of the business and for all those times he’s never grumbled when we’ve needed him to get something to site yesterday!

We’ve asked Steve for a bit of an insight into his day to day role here at Lowfields.

Tell me a little about your position at Lowfield’s and what you do on a day-to-day basis

Raise purchase orders and verify them against invoices and delivery tickets. I am also responsible for ensuring PEFC is kept up to date and all accreditation’s are in order including CHAS, Construction Line and SMAS. A key part of my role is to liaise with suppliers to ensure we are paying the best prices.

What was your background before joining Lowfield Timber Frames?

Leaving school I was a HGV mechanic in Birmingham. I then moved to Shrewsbury and worked for the MOD as a dog handler, then as a trained baiter for 14 years. I started at LTF in 2002 with only 4 of us in the factory, since then I have had many roles within the company and have watched Lowfield’s evolve to where it is now.

What do you like most about your job?

The interaction with suppliers and staff.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

Keeping up with the last minute changes and requirements of materials.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

Playing golf and doing DIY.

Accreditations & Memberships

We have received the final one of the set. We are delighted to hold this GOLD accreditation again for another year. The Accreditation ensures that our business continues to operate to the industry benchmark, showing our commitment to areas of health and safety, quality and risk management, equalities and diversity.
Lowfield Timber Frames Ltd would like to thank all of the team for their continued hard work.

It has been a tough two years of business, but we keep going and always refuse to let standards drop.
Quick mention to the team for their efforts to maintain such high levels of health and safety standards on all the jobs we complete.

This gives our customers piece of mind, another year and another CHAS certificate for the 7th year running.

We strive to be the best we can be and having the certificates to show we comply to the latest policies and procedures is something we are all proud of.

Huge congratulations to our MD Darren Jarman on completing Ironman Maastricht in an amazing 11:24:11 at the weekend!

A crazy 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26 mile run.

Massive well done from us all!

Finalists for the Shropshire Business Awards 2022 • SUSTAINABILITY: For environmentally aware businesses which promote innovative practices, processes or technology.

The awards will be handed out at a glittering Oscars-style event in front of around 700 guests at Telford’s International Centre on Friday June 10 2022. Lowfield Timber Frames are delighted to be finalists in this category which means so much to the business.

• Promoting and producing eco-friendly products and services

Helping to build greener and react to the climate change emergency we actively promote the use of materials with low embodied carbon, helping achieve NET Zero, Passivhaus build standard. Manufacturing timber frames for commercial buildings, residential developments, and private self-builders. This enables the client to have a final product which requires very little energy and heating.

Read more about the awards

On your marks……

On the morning of Sunday 27^th March over 20 members of staff participated in a charity Welshpool 10k race. It was a remarkable turn out from the team who attended the event, over 800 runners took part in total. The route started in Welshpool at the Town Hall, through the breath-taking Powis Castle grounds and finished back at the Town Hall in Welshpool.

Organised by Adrenaline Sporting Events, the Welshpool 10k was held at the third time of asking after two Covid-enforced cancelled events.

“Today has been a long time coming,” said lead organiser, Alan Lewis. “There was a tremendous field of competitors supported by a great crowd along the way so I couldn’t be happier. Thank-you to everyone who helped make this such a special day.

Paralympic legend Jim Roberts MBE started the race which was won by Team Wales marathon star Andy Davies, of Forden, in a time of 32 minutes 33 seconds

Darren Jarman, Managing Director at Lowfield Timber Frames who came 1^st place in his age category said “We were proud to be sponsoring the local Welshpool 10k race in collaboration with Adrenaline Sporting Events. As a group we employ over 150 staff from our headquarters in Marton, just outside Welshpool. It’s really important for us to give something back to the community, whilst also raising money for a great cause. It’s been great encouraging members of staff to take up the challenge and whilst many were apprehensive before the race, everyone really enjoyed themselves and many are already talking about their next race!

This event will then be followed by a series of other events throughout the year. Further details about the upcoming events will be promoted on our social media closer to the dates”

S J Roberts Construction and Lowfield Timber Frames, part of the S J Roberts Group, will be fundraising throughout 2022 for Shropshire Mental Health Support, a mental health charity based in Shrewsbury that supports individuals across Shropshire.

Thank you to everyone who supported us, we are pleased to have raised £1550 so far.

Shropshire MHS: https://www.shropshiremhs.com/

https://gofund.me/b207d91d

Image credit Adrenaline Sporting Events and The County Times

Homebuilding Renovating Show 2022

The show was a great success with the team discussing very interesting projects in the pipeline. We look forward to speaking with the visitors again soon. Thank you to everyone who came to the stand.

26th January 2022 – Homebuilding Renovating Exhibition NEC

We are pleased to announce we will be attending this years Homebuilding and Renovating Show STAND D156

Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 March 2022
NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT

Register by clicking on the image  below for entry for 2 people to The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show. To register for your pair of tickets, simply complete your details below and we’ll email you your ticket plus keep you up-to-date with the latest show news and show highlights that you’re interested in.

Lowfield Timber Frames and S J Roberts Construction Sponsor Local Fundraiser

We are delighted to sponsor this local event which will take place on March 27th and proud to support local charity MSH. Not only is this a great way to kick off the New Year, but it will also be a great way to support our chosen charity for 2022, which will be (MHS)Shropshire Mental Health Support.

It is a great way to raise some much-needed funds for this small local organisation, whilst also improving the health and wellbeing of our staff who will be entering.

It has been confirmed that over 300 people have already signed up for the March 27 event, with organisers revealing that the town’s very own Paralympic hero, James Roberts MBE, will be officially starting the run.

The event is scheduled to start and finish outside the Town Hall and run through the world-class gardens and grounds of Powis Castle.

“The entries vary from nervous first-timers of all ages through to competitive runners,” said organiser Alan Lewis, from Adrenaline Sporting Events.

“And we are delighted to confirm that wheelchair rugby star James Roberts MBE will be starting the race just to make it that little bit more special.”

The GoFundMe page link is https://gofund.me/b207d91d

To enter, visit https://www.adrenalinesportingevents.co.uk/welshpool-10k-running-event/

https://www.shropshiremhs.com/category/news-events/news/

The NHBC Pride in the Job Awards are the most highly recognised awards within the housebuilding industry and the most respected benchmark for excellent site managers. The awards pay tribute to site managers who demonstrate commitment in producing homes of outstanding quality and excellence.

Lowfield Timber Frames are pleased to receive the NHBC certificate from Countryside Properties for the partnership on the development at Cochrane Road, Dudley.

Site Manager Jamie Bayliss of Countryside Properties has been recognised for his hard work and dedication of all the site team and subcontractors. Congratulations to everyone involved.

“It’s great to see that during these difficult times when labour and material are so hard to obtain that the high standards are still being met. This is a great achievement from Jamie Baylis and all the team”
Darren Jarman Managing Director – Lowfield Timber Frames

Self Build Home – Lowfield Timber Frame features on TV.

So did you spot us on More 4’s Great British Home Restoration on Sunday?

We were featured on the programme working on a restoration project of an old mill on the banks of the River Severn in Llanidloes, Powys. It was a complex build for us as it involved erecting the timber frame inside of the original structure to provide thermal insulation and to extend part of the existing building.

Catch up on the episode here 

Read more on our Self Build Home projects here

Structural Timber Award Finalists

Lowfield Timber Frames are thrilled to have been shortlisted for this years Structural Timber Awards. LTF are finalists in the Low Energy category for the Sarn Home-grown homes project.

About the Project

Commissioned to provide much needed council homes for social rent as part of the Council’s Corporate Improvement Plan ‘Vision 2025’. Lowfield Timber Frames designed, manufactured and installed a Larsen Truss timber system for the development.

Located in the centre of the popular rural village of Sarn, the 628m² development comprises two bedroom bungalows and two & three-bedroom homes. Each is designed to offer affordable, environmentally sustainable accommodation for those on the Common Housing Register. The building palette of healthy and ecological timber materials forms a sustainable system for long-term efficiency that meets Passivhaus standards.

This project proves that the combination of a sustainable approach and local skills/materials does not limit design innovation. The project was one of the pioneers for the Home-Grown Homes projects, utilising Welsh timber as the core structural material for the build. This scheme could evolve design standards in social housing to improve quality and wellbeing long-term while creating net zero carbon homes and creating a circular economy.

Operating a collaborative culture and performance-centric approach, Lowfield Timber Frames are a highly-technical partner who design, manufacture and install low-energy timber solutions.

The awards ceremony will take place in September 2021.

Client: Powys County Council

Contractor: Pave Aways Building Contractors 

Timber Frame Houses -Home-Grown Homes Give Sarn a Smaller Carbon Footprint

Contributing to Welsh Government’s 20,000 target of new high quality and energy efficient homes which are affordable to run, a Home-Grown Homes development in Sarn, Powys, uses Welsh timber and has achieved Passivhaus standards.

Designed to test interventions that could positively impact the Welsh timber industry, the Home-Grown Homes project aims to bring low-carbon social housing to Wales. One of these innovative developments can be found in the village of Sarn, where four two-bedroom bungalows, two two-bedroom and one three-bedroom houses have all been Passivhaus certified.

Passivhaus certified for energy efficiency

Passivhaus, or Passive House, was originally developed in Germany in the 1990s. By complying with a set of energy-efficient design criteria, these standards focus on producing low energy buildings that promote healthy living and sustainability.

One of the key principles of Passivhaus design is airtightness, which aims to seal the building and reduce heat loss. Measured by monitoring how often the air pressure changes within one hour, Passivhaus standards allow for a maximum of 0.6 air changes per hour. For this particular development, the final air tests in the bungalows revealed just 0.27 air changes an hour, and 0.49 for the houses.

As well as being extremely energy efficient, these buildings also feature a number of renewable energy technologies. The 4.2 KW solar photovoltaic roof panels generate electricity, while the heat recovery units reuse any excess heat to warm the properties. This means that these homes will remain warm even during the coldest months, significantly reducing the cost of energy bills.

Local timber for a sustainable future

The development project was managed by Powys County Council and followed the principles of the Council’s Welsh Government backed Home-Grown Homes project, an initiative designed to encourage the use of locally grown timber to build low-carbon social housing.

“The Home-Grown Homes project has substantially raised the profile of the timber frame industry in Wales, helping facilitate greater collaboration in the supply chain,” says Darren Jarman from Lowfield Timber Frames, who worked alongside Pave Aways in the construction of these Passivhaus homes in Sarn.

Encouraging the forestry, timber and construction industries to work closely together, this project has been designed to help streamline the entire supply chain. The overall aim of this is to expand the forest sector, finding better ways of using home-grown wood for a sustainable society with a greener future.

A key part of the Home-Grown Homes framework is to minimise embodied carbon. In other words, the aim was to reduce all emissions relating to the construction of the building, such as the supply and transport of raw materials. By sourcing Welsh timber, this project not only supported Wales’ timber industry, but also helped increase the eco-friendly aspect of the overall build.

The local timber was used for a twin wall system, building a double stud wall with a central cavity to reduce heat loss. This was then filled with ample amounts of Warmcel insulation, distributed by Welshpool-based PYC, which is made from recycled newspaper with added mineral salts for fire resistance and protection from fungi and insects.

This is just one of many Passivhaus schemes Lowfield Timber Frames has completed in recent years. Other projects include full-scale housing developments and schools, including the new Welshpool Church in Wales School.

Using local timber and staff, these Passivhaus properties come with a small carbon footprint that has made a big impact on the area’s timber industry. This project is a sign of positive changes taking place within construction, heading towards more sustainable properties.

Contact Lowfield Timber Frames (www.lowfieldtimberframes.co.uk or 01743 891922) to find out more about Passivhaus and sustainability within the construction industry.

Over the last few years we have seen the size of our builds get bigger and bigger and the majority of our work being large commercial projects such as hotels, schools and housing developments, that’s why when we get an opportunity to get involved in community projects that benefit our local area, we jump at them.

The project was carried out as part of main contractor Pave Aways community benefits programme, where they support local organisations and charities in the areas where they are working. Lowfield Timber Frames supplied the timber frame structure for the building.

The project allows youth groups in Guilsfield to enjoy a raft of outdoor activities. The build consisted of a covered outdoor space in the grounds of the Guilsfield Jubilee Hut that local scout and guide groups will be able to use as a camp kitchen and to hold outdoor meetings.

Linda Hart, chair of the Guilsfield Jubilee Hut committee, said: “Now more than ever we are in need of open outdoor space so that the children can safely come back to the group meetings.

“The plan was for a three-sided covered area — quite simple but very valuable. We are over moon with what is being built and cannot wait to put it to good use.”

Extra Care Residential Housing Unit set to open Summer 2021

The £9m extra care scheme was built in Aberystwyth by main contractors Anwyl Partnerships for Wales and West Housing Association. The building will provide 24 hour on site care and support for those needing more assistance.

Lowfield’s supplied and erected the timber frame kit for the 4 storey 5690m2 project located at Pen yr Angor, Trefechan, with magnificent views over the town and harbour. The project started just as the world was about to enter a global pandemic, this meant communication between contractors and sub-contractors was vital in the success of the project.

The project included 50 one bedroomed apartments and 6 two bedroomed apartments. The kit was made up of 140mm studs with 18mm OBS3 sheathing, with 100mm factory fitted rigid insulation. The party walls were constructed to robust detail to aid both fire and acoustic requirements and floor cassettes were used to speed up the build and reduce the potential falls from heights.

This was one of the largest projects Lowfields has worked on and the end result is extremely impressive sitting overlooking Aberystwyth.

See some of our larger projects here https://www.lowfieldtimberframes.co.uk/case_study_types/hotels_commercial/

Passive House- Low Energy

Mid Wales based timber frame manufacturers Lowfield Timber Frames (LTF) have seen a rapid increase in demand for passiv haus builds over recent years.

Having previously completed the first passiv haus social housing scheme in Powys, a new build primary school in Welshpool and a social housing development in Shropshire, the firm have secured even more passiv haus projects for the future including several schools and council led residential schemes.

In response to the climate emergency, and increase in demand for low carbon government buildings, LTF have invested in installing their own Warmcel insulation system which means that insulation can now be installed to the roof cassettes offsite during the manufacturing process, reducing the time working at height on site and avoiding possible site defects from insulating after installation. LTF are approved installers and have undertaken technical training to ensure they are experts with installation techniques and standards.

Warmcel insulation is a high performance insulation for timber framed buildings, sustainably manufactured from recycled newspaper. There is a natural fluctuation of moisture levels within a building that begins at the construction stage and continues throughout its lifetime. The hygroscopic properties of Warmcel insulation helps this moisture to naturally migrate to the outside of the building fabric without building up on structural elements.

Darren Jarman, Managing Director, LTF comments ‘As well as thermal performance, our clients are really starting to understand the importance of a breathable, airtight building envelope and Warmcel ticks all the boxes.’

He continues, “As many of the main contractors start putting a greater emphasis on embodied carbon and the need for EPD’s, Warmcel will become mainstream as we head towards Net Zero Carbon emissions and we are excited to be able to provide this offering in a factory-controlled environment.”

LTF look forward to their partnership with Warmcel to provide an efficient solution to the ongoing climate emergency that will only see greater demand for passiv haus schemes in the coming years.

Find out more about passiv haus by visiting https://www.lowfieldtimberframes.co.uk/passive-house/ or contact enquiries@ltf.uk.com or call 01743 891922.

Structural Timber Awards – Lowfield achieves highly commended

Lowfield scooped up a Highly Commended award at the much anticipated ST Awards 2020, the event was held virtually in January 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic uncertainty. Lowfields achieved the award in the Social Housing category for their Marstons Hub project based in Ludlow, Shropshire. This was a great project to work on with main contractors SJ Roberts Construction. The guiding principle to this project has been to develop a language that will unify the historic fabric with the newer elements, whilst still retaining their own distinct character, this was where K4 Architects played an integral role in the project.

About Marstons Hub

Marstons Hub is a new £1.2 million facility for young people, set within the historic market town of Ludlow, in South Shropshire. The 1,845 m2 development comprises of 11 new build homes (including 3 fully accessible units), 13 refurbished homes within the mill, 10,000 sq.ft. commercial workspace, over 3 levels and a 1,000 sq.ft. community café space.

Lowfield Timber Frames designed, manufactured and installed the timber frame system for the development to reduce build time and maintenance costs while maximising quality and environmental benefits.

Read the full case study here https://www.lowfieldtimberframes.co.uk/case_studies/marstons-hub-ludlow/

We held our annual Macmillan Coffee morning on Thursday the 24th of September. There were some lovely homemade cakes and some tasty store bought treats.

Lots of Tea, Coffee and Cake was consumed!

We raised a total of £66 which will be going to the great Macmillan Cancer Care fund.

Well done everyone!

Update: 16th April 2020

Firstly, I do hope you are reading this keeping safe and well during these unprecedented times?

Following the latest guidelines set out by the UK government in respect of the precautions to be taken to stem the spread of the Coronavirus, Lowfield Timber Frames will re-open on the 20^th April 2020. It must be noted however that this will be on a skeleton workforce to ensure current guidelines are always adhered to. This will undoubtedly cause some disruption and we thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.

Staff will be informed individually on a return date. If no contact is made, then their current furlough status will remain.

If you have any questions during this time, please contact Darren Jarman on the details below.

Please stay safe, stay healthy and stay at home.

Regards,

Darren Jarman

Managing Director

For and on Behalf of Lowfield Timber Frames Ltd

t          01743 892004

e          darren.jarman@ltf.uk.com

We will be exhibiting at the Homebuilding and Renovating Show at the NEC Birmingham from the 26th-29th of March 2020.

Come visit us at stand D156 and discuss your building requirements.

Click the banner below to claim your FREE TICKETS.

Lowfield Timber Frames celebrate a successful STA Awards 2019.

Lowfield won the Low Energy category for their first ever Passiv Haus scheme of 12 social housing units in Much Wenlock.

They also achieved Highly Commended in the Social Housing category for the same project.

Passiv Haus is a standard which Lowfields has only recently started getting involved with.

Their first Passiv Haus project Callaughtons Ash, Much Wenlock was constructed from a 270mm Larson Truss frame and Warmcel insulation, achieveing a U-value of 0.13.

Their second Passiv Haus scheme was a new school in Welshpool, this was constructed using a 390mm Larson Truss frame with Warmcel insulation. This project achieved a U-value of 0.10 and an air tightness level of 0.21.

Both projects have been very successful.

Congratulations all and here’s to some more exciting projects to come.

On the morning of Wednesday the 25th of September, the doors at Lowfields opened and one by one delicious homemade and bought cakes were added to the table in our reception.

By 9am we were ready.. ready to eat some cake and raise some money for a great charity.

The cakes were delicious and everyone did their bit in eating some cake!

Lauren won Best Baker with her lovely chocolate and marshmallow cake.

We raised an amazing £115 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Well done everyone!

FINALIST SUCCESS AT STA AWARDS

Lowfield Timber Frames have been shortlisted for two awards at this years STA Awards.

They are finalists in the Low Energy Project of the Year category and the Social Housing Project of the Year both for the Callaughtons Ash passivhaus, social housing scheme in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. 

About Callaughtons Ash

Commissioned to reduce energy consumption and eradicate local fuel poverty, Callaughtons Ash is a £2 million housing development for South Shropshire Housing Association.

Lowfield Timber Frames designed, manufactured and installed a Larsen Truss timber system for the development to reduce build time and maintenance costs while maximising quality and environmental benefits.

Huddled in Much Wenlock’s green landscapes, the 820m2 development comprises one, two and three-bedroom homes, including two shared ownership and ten social rentals. Each is designed to offer affordable, environmentally sustainable accommodation for locals. The building palette of healthy and ecological timber materials forms a sustainable system for long-term efficiency that meets Passivhaus standards.

The Callaughton Ash project proves that the combination of a sustainable approach and local skills/materials does not limit design innovation, even when restricted by budget. This scheme could evolve design standards in social housing to improve quality and wellbeing long-term.

The Callaughtons Ash scheme was officially certified shortly after the build was completed, guaranteeing ultimate performance and certifying that there are no gaps between predicted and actual results – reassuring residents.

The awards ceremony will be held on the 9th of October in Birmingham.

Check out some of Lowfields other projects here

This years Homebuilding and Renovating Show is fast approaching. Come see us from the 28th- 31st of March at the NEC in Birmingham.

We will be on Stand D156, click the banner below to get your TWO FREE TICKETS (Worth £36) * and come say hello.

Got your drawings? Great, bring them along and talk to one of our advisors.

Learn all you need to know about Timber Frame and find out why you should use it for your next project. View some of our past projects and get a feel for the Timber Frame build up.

We can’t wait to see you!

Get your Two Free Tickets click the banner below!

*Offer ends 27th March at 3pm.

On May 26th, our MD Darren Jarman and Factory Manager Ian Brown took on the STA Charity Bike Ride. They were part of a group of eight members of the Structural Timber Association, all from various UK timber frame firms taking part in the challenge.

The challenge saw them cycle coast to coast from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Whitby in Yorkshire, all in just one day in aid of Children in Need and the TTBS (Timber Trades Benevolent Society). Taking them a total of 15 hours, battling strong head winds, it was a great achievement.

The route was a stunning 161-mile, 13,000ft of ascent, road ride from the mountainous Western Lake District, through the Yorkshire Dales, across the flat Vale of York and finally the Northern Valleys of the North York Moors, finishing by the sea in Whitby.

Ian Brown commented, “From start to finish I loved every bit, the team work was great, we all instantly bonded and were so supportive of each other was mind bending”.

He continued, “I am privileged to have been a part of this pioneering event that I believe will now turn into an annual event”

So far, they have managed to raise a total of £5,530, and there is still time to donate. If you would like to donate you can here.

Well done all a great triumph.

Lowfield Timber Frames (LTF), part of the SJ Roberts group, is based on the Shropshire/Mid Wales border. It is one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of timber framed structures. Lowfield’s currently have over 70 staff and is achieving continuous growth year on year.

Creating a broad spectrum of timber frame buildings from Hotels, large housing developments to one off self-builds allows LTF to appeal to a wide range of customers and accommodate many building needs.

Lowfield’s are long established and pride themselves on the reputation they have built over 18 years within the industry. They offer a high-quality service with excellent attention to detail leading to a high number of repeat customers.

LTF provide the structural design, engineering, manufacturing and erection of your prefabricated timber frame kit, in which a dedicated contracts manager is assigned. They can also offer a supply only package if required. Lowfield’s are also proud Kingspan Tek delivery partners and process many SIP panels and associated timbers for the industry.

Lowfield’s factory consists of 73,000ft2 of bespoke manufacturing floor space. With their latest new building featuring a 22mtr span 5 ton travelling crane.

LTF have never rested on their laurels and are constantly looking at ways to improve their factory processes to ensure the clients get the best quality product possible. This has seen an impressive growth of 63% in annual turnover over the last 5 years.

Due to an increase in Glulam processing, primarily required for larger contracts such Hotels and the processing of associated timbers for the Kingspan TEK system, the decision was made to invest in a state of the art Hundegger SC-3 machine back in 2014.

Darren Jarman, Managing Director of LTF commented “The decision to make the initial investment took quite some time as we were successfully processing the components required using hand tools and the need wasn’t obvious at first. As the structures became more complex the time involved getting all the timbers processed was proving prohibitive and the change was made. What we quickly realised was the other avenues this would open for us and we are now seeing big improvements in all areas of the business”.

To support further expansion, LTF have promptly invested in their second Hundegger machine due to increase in demand and capacity. Darren continued “Whilst the SC-3 has taken the manufacturing time uncertainty out of the complex processing, it’s so busy that we are not getting the benefits for the more repetitive components such as studs and joists, that’s where the turbo drive comes in”.

The Turbo Drive will help speed up cutting times and accuracy of Timber, SIP timbers, Green Oak, I Joists and Kerto. The investment will help LTF keep a highly efficient factory as the number of projects are increasing.

Lowfield Timber Frames are taking full advantage of the growing timber frame industry and is thriving at a time where many are failing. Steady growth and keeping the businesses core values in sight of maintaining a personal, informative relationship with their customers is allowing LTF to succeed.

Email us at enquiries@ltf.uk.com or call 01743 891922 today to talk through your project with a friendly team member.