Pochin completes mountain bike centre

Pochin Construction will today formally hand over the £1.2m extension to the visitor centre at the popular Coed y Brenin Forest Park in Dolgellau.

The development for Natural Resources Wales contains a 4,000 sq ft standalone two-storey building with a walkway linking the extension with the current facilities, and a new reception area. The ground floor will provide space for a bike hire shop, while the first floor will become a multi-use event space.

The project involved the use of Brettstapel timber frame construction techniques for the bulk of the building, in which no glue or nails were used. The integrity of the structure relied on the wooden panels, held together with hardwood dowels, which fuse together over time. It is the first ever Brettstapel project to be built using entirely Welsh grown timber and manufactured in the UK.

The structure incorporates recycled fibre boards, recycled newspaper and timber cladding; and due to its fantastic natural thermal properties, can be heated predominantly through solar gain with additional warmth provided by an under floor heating system.

Jonathan Pochin, managing director of Pochin Construction, said: "The development of the visitors centre has been a unique and challenging project. Everyone involved had very high and detailed expectations of the finished product, which is reflected in the quality of the work.

"We hope that the visitor centre will provide a model of how to build innovatively with minimal impact on the environment. The building is a testament to what can be achieved with Welsh timber using original and ground-breaking techniques."

Architecture practice, Architype, designed the building, which is expected to achieve a BREEAM 'excellent' rating.

The centre is due to open to the public later in the so-called summer.