Groundbreaking research into the structural use of UK-grown timber, led by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU), is being showcased at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London.

The research forms a central part of the new exhibit, Building from Forests, which advocates for the sustainable future of construction using underused domestic wood species.

The exhibit highlights the output from a three-year research project funded by the Forestry Commission. While led by the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), the collaboration included key Scottish partners such as ENU and Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), alongside Ecosystems Technologies and architecture firm dRMM.

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ENU's involvement focused on leading an extensive and pioneering testing programme to examine the structural properties of a range of English hardwood species. The results of this testing were critical, as they allowed for specific structural properties to be assigned to these hardwoods, thus enabling the exploration and development of scalable structural applications in modern construction.

Building directly on ENU's findings, BE-ST manufactured an innovative element for the exhibition: the UK’s first curved Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) vaulted ceiling made using hardwoods grown entirely in England. This piece is displayed alongside other high-value construction products that can be created from English-grown hardwoods.

The Building from Forests exhibition is the fifth edition of the V&A’s Make Good: Rethinking Material Futures programme and is now open to visitors at the Furniture Gallery in South Kensington. The display runs until the end of October 2026 and makes a compelling case for increasing the use of underused UK-grown timber in construction projects.