Image: Courtesy UK Wood Awards
An unusual concept in community buildings, the Hive is an integrated public and university library that also comprises county archives, local history and archaeology services. The building houses 12 miles (19.2 km) of achive colllections, 800 study stations and has more than 10,000 square metres of public floor space over fivr floors.
The Hive has won two international awards for design and sustainability.
The innovative glulam/CLT roof has been described as one of the most outstanding features of England's contemporary timber buildings - featuring seven structurally independent pyramid-shaped components.
The longest roof span exceeds 25m and features a unique new system combining glulam beams and CLT panels. Using timber also saved 2000 tonnes of CO2 compared with steel and concrete.
You can read more about this landmark ptoject in the latest issue of timber+DESIGN magazine - it's free for tablet viewing here for Ipad and here for Android, or by subscription for desktop here.