The UK’s housing crisis demands faster, greener, and more cost-effective delivery models, especially across the affordable and social housing sectors. The growing use of offsite-manufactured timber frame construction is emerging as a key part of the solution.
This was recognised at the 2025 Structural Timber Awards, where Cloverhill, a major development delivered using Deeside Timberframe’s offsite timber frame system, was named Social Housing Project of the Year. The win shines a spotlight on what’s possible when public sector ambition and modern methods of construction align.
Delivered in partnership with Bancon Construction for Aberdeen City Council, Cloverhill is a large-scale, mixed-tenure development comprising 536 new homes, including 81 that are fully accessible or dementia-friendly. All timber frame homes were delivered by Deeside Timberframe over a three-year period, with completion in August 2025, demonstrating the speed, consistency, and efficiency that offsite timber frame offers at scale.
Designed to meet Gold Level Sustainability under Scottish Building Regulations, Cloverhill combines energy efficiency with long-term value for residents and housing providers. The homes achieve exceptional U-values and airtightness, integrating technologies such as air source heat pumps and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery to minimise running costs and environmental impact. The use of PEFC-certified timber and just-in-time delivery models further reduce waste, carbon emissions, and on-site disruption.
Deeside Timberframe’s design and manufacturing approach played a crucial role in achieving these outcomes. Upfront design coordination enabled project-specific detailing and early agreement of individual house types, streamlining approvals and accelerating delivery. Standardised system strategies were developed to allow house type variations to be placed flexibly within composite blocks — optimising manufacturing efficiency while maintaining architectural diversity across the site. Value engineering reduced timber use where structurally unnecessary, while repeat designs for stairs, trusses and floors supported batch production and reduced on-site crane time. Offsite-manufactured roof and floor cassettes were pre-assembled to soleplates, enabling faster erection and fewer site days.
“Cloverhill is a brilliant example of the speed, consistency and sustainability that offsite timber frame construction can offer,” said David Crawford, Managing Director of Deeside Timberframe.
“This award win proves that timber frame is not just viable – it’s essential to scaling up housing delivery across the UK. If we’re serious about meeting government housing targets, then we need faster, cleaner, smarter ways to build. Timber frame is already delivering those results, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of that transformation.”
Deeside Timberframe is increasingly seen as a leading delivery partner for both private and public sector housing. The company recently completed a multi-million-pound expansion of its Throsk manufacturing facility, doubling capacity and streamlining production for large-scale housing delivery. The site has since hosted several high-profile visitors, including Scottish MPs and MSPs, reaffirming timber frame’s role in delivering on bot
