Contractor appointed to build UK’s largest timber-frame office building

McLaren will deliver the 100,000 sq ft Xylo building in Clerkenwell, which stretches over nine floors and features a restaurant, rooftop garden and yoga deck. The building will be centred around a 6.5m vaulted lobby.

McLaren will now work alongside architects Piercy & Co, project manager Avison Young, services and sustainability engineers Max Fordham, and structural and civil engineers Heyne Tillett Steel, to deliver the project by Q2 2028.

The building is designed to achieve LETI Pioneer, NABERS UK 5.5-star and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certifications, with embodied carbon levels 50% lower than a typical London office building.

William Hare Group’s Hybrid Structures will supply the building’s glulam beams and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure.

Darren Gill, managing director for London & South at McLaren Construction, added, “This is a pioneering use of structural timber and off-site manufacturing to deliver a high level of buildability and sustainability on a typically tight central London site. The result will be a landmark project that redefines what a sustainable, healthy workplace can be. Rigorous digital information management systems enable us to monitor carbon emissions as the project progresses and ensure that it comfortably meets its ambitious targets.”