The Wolves Lane Centre project showcases an innovative approach to sustainable architecture, created through close collaboration with two architectural teams. The redevelopment introduces three new bespoke buildings, each constructed using natural, locally sourced materials including straw bales, clay, and reclaimed components.

Designed as a single storey timber and strawbale structures, the buildings use longspan timber elements engineered for efficient construction and minimal disruption on site. A key feature is a 25 metre timber truss supported by intermediate hardwood cantilevers, carefully detailed to accommodate the full depth of the straw bale walls.

A core ambition of the project was to minimise the use of concrete and steel. Tisserin achieved this by designing timber plywood gusset plates, incorporating timber bracing within the walls, and developing rubble foundations. Circularity played a major role: an existing building was deconstructed, crushed, and repurposed as foundation material, significantly reducing the requirement for imported aggregate.

Sustainable water management was integrated throughout the site. An offline drainage system was designed to ease pressure on Thames Water sewers, supported by a network of raingardens, permeable paving, the existing storage tanks and a reedbed pond. The raingardens help manage and clean surface water runoff, mitigating both local and offsite flood risk. Seasonal constraints also led to the consideration of green, recently harvested timbers as part of the material strategy.

Wolves Lane Centre has been recognised widely and featured in Architects’ Journal, Building Design, and Wallpaper magazines.