The new UK headquarters for global biopharmaceutical company UCB is currently being built in Windlesham, Surrey. The heart of the research and development campus will be UCB's collaboration hub a - three-storey timber building with a floor area of 2 870 m² that connects the surrounding buildings. The collaboration hub will connect all the UK operations on one site to create world-class facility that is fit for UCB’s science, inspires collaboration and creativity, and ensures a successful and sustainable future for the company in the UK.

British designer Thomas Heatherwick's studio is working with architects Veretec to support UCB's plans to expand its innovative research and development in the UK.

The architectural concept involves the refurbishment of the existing campus in Surrey and the construction of a three-storey timber building at its centre. The 19-hectare campus will replace UCB's current UK headquarters in Slough.

The solid timber construction consists of a very special curved geometry made of upright cross laminated timber elements. The curved geometry was created by CNC machining and then sanded again for the visible area. In total, this involved approx. 1,500 m³ of cross laminated timber, approx. 30% of which was milled curved.

This project was manufactured at three different production sites of the HASSLACHER Group.