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Xylotek Xylotek is at the forefront in the design and delivery of advanced engineered timber structures.

The Guangzhou Garden, RHS Chelsea 2021For Grant Associates Guangzhou Garden, we designed, engineered, fabricated and ins...
21/10/2026

The Guangzhou Garden, RHS Chelsea 2021

For Grant Associates Guangzhou Garden, we designed, engineered, fabricated and installed five filigree towers, ranging from 1.8 to 8.4 metres tall.

We worked from the early design stages to set the geometry and structure, and used MOSO N-finity laminated bamboo for its strength and durability outdoors.

Each tower uses gridshell principles: curved uprights wrapped in a lattice of spiralling strips, hand-bent into place.

We tested how far the bamboo strips could bend and twist, then moving between workshop experiments, full-scale prototypes and digital simulation until the geometry was right.

The largest tower needed its own rotating assembly frame, so the strips could be wound onto a temporary armature until the structure was stiff enough to stand on its own.

The garden won a Gold medal and Best in Show. Afterwards it was gifted to Bristol, Guangzhou’s sister city, and rebuilt at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden, where it officially opened on 1 May 2024.

Project team: 
Landscape architect: Grant Associates (Peter Chmiel and Chin-Jung Chen)
Landscape contractor: The Outdoor Room The Outdoor Room 
Client: Creativersal 
Main sponsor: Administration of Forestry and Gardening of Guangzhou Municipality
Bamboo: MOSO

Garden photos: Alister Thorpe / Grant Associates
Workshop photos: Martin Phelps

Fantastic to see The Wheatsheaf Building at Grosvenor Square, with its café kiosk and London Wildlife Trust education ce...
13/10/2026

Fantastic to see The Wheatsheaf Building at Grosvenor Square, with its café kiosk and London Wildlife Trust education centre now in use.

Delivered by Xylotek - Advanced Timber Structures through full DfMA: digital twin modelled, manufactured off site and assembled on site. A part of the climate-resilient transformation of Grosvenor Square, led by Grosvenor

Design: tonkin liu and BDP.
Engineer: Tyréns AKT Main contractor: Maylim Limited

Image credit: Grosvenor

From the archives: 2022 Xylotek - Advanced Timber Structures on Shatrunjaya Hill, Palitana, Gujarat 🇮🇳 The first of two ...
09/10/2026

From the archives: 2022 Xylotek - Advanced Timber Structures on Shatrunjaya Hill, Palitana, Gujarat 🇮🇳

The first of two glulam and CLT reciprocal frame canopy pavilions

3800 steps on foot each day

Temperatures reaching 38°C

Timing lifts around wind conditions

Raised with hand winch systems

4,331 miles from Bristol UK 🇬🇧

With Arup SJK Architects and with fabrication by strategic partner SIMONIN SAS

An unforgettable experience for the crew in a breathtaking landscape, alongside centuries-old craft traditions still practised in the monastery complex today.

Model Above. Built below.Chapter London Chapter Westminster, Lambeth. The finished ceiling follows the geometry develope...
08/10/2026

Model Above. Built below.

Chapter London Chapter Westminster, Lambeth. The finished ceiling follows the geometry developed in the digital model - from the curvature of the panels to the joints between them and the integrated lighting line.

The arches were designed from a full 3D point-cloud scan of the existing structure, then developed into a DFMA component model for fabrication and assembly on site.

The central image shows the geometry becoming physical: the timber frame and plywood skin taking shape. The finished space shows the same system completed, with the structure, lining and lighting working as one continuous surface.

Swipe through for model, construction and finished space 🤌

Client Greystar
With
Longley Group TiggColl Architects Engenuiti and KP Acoustics Group



Final finish image credit: Matt King

Model above, built below.At Chapter Westminster, Lambeth, the finished ceiling follows the geometry developed in the dig...
07/10/2026

Model above, built below.

At Chapter Westminster, Lambeth, the finished ceiling follows the geometry developed in the digital model - from the curvature of the panels to the joints between them and the integrated lighting line.

The arches were designed from a full 3D point-cloud scan of the existing structure, then developed into a DFMA component model for fabrication and assembly on site.

The central image shows the geometry becoming physical: the timber frame and plywood skin taking shape. The finished space shows the same system completed, with the structure, lining and lighting working as one continuous surface.

Swipe through for the model, construction and finished space.

Client
With
and KP Acoustics Group


Final finish image credit: Matt King

Final layers going in at Chapter London Westminster, Lambeth - the finished ceiling lining covering the timber frame.Fro...
07/10/2026

Final layers going in at Chapter London Westminster, Lambeth - the finished ceiling lining covering the timber frame.

From structural frame to plywood skin to smooth, seamless curve, each arch is finished as one continuous surface, with lighting integrated directly into the lining.

Each panel was built from our DFMA component model, originally developed from a full 3D point-cloud scan of the existing arches.

Finished project images coming soon 👊

Client: Greystar with Longley Group TiggColl Architects Engenuiti and KP Acoustics Group

30/09/2026

Getting materials to site isn’t always a logistical problem solved with a bigger truck 🚛

At Shatrunjaya Hill, Palitana - one of the most significant Jain pilgrimage sites, reached only on foot, thousands of stone steps up - there is no road, no vehicle access, no crane, no site machinery.

Each component had to travel up the mountain the same way the pilgrims do: on foot 🦶

The timber was carried up the mountain and raised into position using hand-powered winch systems 👊

Each component size, weight and sequence was planned a year in advance in the UK, specifically adapted to what could physically be carried and winched on site, alongside centuries-old craft traditions still practised on the hill today.

Oscar spent Friday afternoon at the Fabrication Gap Symposium in London and left feeling encouraged. “It was reassuring ...
29/09/2026

Oscar spent Friday afternoon at the Fabrication Gap Symposium in London and left feeling encouraged.

“It was reassuring to hear from others who are trying to build better solutions to an outdated and often messy industry, where too many businesses make money from things not going to plan.

I really enjoyed the realism of David Heron IDC Solutions challenging us to ask: who is advising the client, and do they have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo?

And provocative questions from Wolf Mangelsdorf Buro Happold Who is actually running the show? The architect? PM? Cost consultant? Client? Contractor? Is there a Gap?

It was also excellent to see TOPBIM® and our CREE BUILDINGS partners showcasing digitally managed DfMA solutions that are already working in practice.

Xylotek - Advanced Timber Structures has been working with CREE for the past three years to bring this successful model to the UK.

From our experience at Xylotek as a specialist contractor, one observation has become clear over the years: the earlier we are engaged, the better the project outcomes tend to be.

That applies across almost every metric I can think of - cost, programme and quality - however something that gets measured far less often is the quality of the relationships built and sustained through the project.

If we want better outcomes, we need to think harder about when specialist knowledge enters the process, how information is shared, and whether our procurement and commercial structures genuinely incentivise projects to go well.”

Great to be part of Future of Design London 2026 yesterday, hosted by IABSE UK at Imperial College LondonMartin joined a...
25/09/2026

Great to be part of Future of Design London 2026 yesterday, hosted by IABSE UK at Imperial College London

Martin joined a full day of discussion on how we design to get the best out of timber and stone - sharing experience from Xylotek's own projects alongside engineers and architects working across the industry.

Thanks to the organising committee for putting together a genuinely engaging day, and to everyone who took the time to speak with us.

Images: Filip Wojtasik

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