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Searching for ‘Can Do’ Firms
A name that seems to keep cropping up when we look for capable off-site manufacturer’s is Benfield ATT,
so we thought we’d investigate them a little more.
Apparently the firm was founded in
Examples of this are a dental and
1995 to manufacture Swedish style
health clinic created on a curve and
timber frame houses for Scandia-Hus,
balanced on a single row of piles
having themselves been established
to meet exacting ground and site
to import and sell the products of their
conditions in Exeter, the complex
Scandinavian parent company in the
curved glulam ‘Armadillo Shell’ roof for
early ‘70’s. The business had grown
a visitor centre near Cardiff, a huge
well, so when it faced an adverse
30m span portal frame for a furniture
exchange rate against the Krone,
factory in the wilds of Dorset, the UK’s
it was only logical to transfer the
first amphibious house in Marlow, and
technology and the fabrication to the
a circular crèche for an international
UK.
‘cherry picker’ manufacturer in Milton
Keynes.
While these have been progressively
upgraded, they remain woefully behind
As Prof.B (as he has become
the northern European standards that
affectionately known) smilingly states,
As Prof.B concludes, “We like to work
the firm offered at that time. Although
“The things other people shy away
with people who have new ideas
the gap has narrowed, it still maintains
from are exactly what we like to get
and who, like us, see timber as a key
a lead having become increasingly
to exercise our skills, experience and
sustainable material in our quest to
focussed on delivering Low Energy
capabilities. While we’re very happy
‘save the planet’.
Buildings since the recession. In 2002
to prefabricate and build ‘standard’
ATT was acquired by a firm owned by
houses, if it’s ‘different’ it ‘gets our
leading environmentalist, Professor
juices going’.”
Dr. Michael Benfield, changing its
It is, after all, the only renewable
building material on earth.” As a
service to existing and potential
This ethos of doing different things,
customers, Benfield ATT’s easy and
often differently, has spurred the
quick to read Weekly Insight helps
As he explains “Applying Marshall
firm’s development of traditional
keep construction professionals up to
McLuhan’s famous phrase, ‘The
carpentry, modifying this to produce
date with current news and trending
Medium is the Message’, it is
standardised feature roof trusses,
topics.
absolutely clear that timber buildings
‘systemised’ post & beam structures,
have symbiotic relationship with
and the use of hybrid glulam ‘cross
nature. What better way, then, to
laminated’ timber for solid timber
promote the need for environmental
walls, floors and roofs of ‘interesting’
sustainability than designing, making
carbon neutral structures.
name to Benfield ATT.
and building timber buildings.”
Subscribe here:
www.benfieldatt.uk/
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Benfield ATT Group:
www.benfieldatt.uk