Heathrow is ramping up efforts to achieve net-zero with the redevelopment of its Eastern Business Park—one of 14 spotlight projects trialling low-carbon materials and modern construction methods at the airport. Yesterday, McLaren Construction was appointed as the contractor responsible for building four new warehouses, all featuring offsite steel framing and flat-packed cross-laminated timber roof panels.
Wood Central understands the projects will be delivered within the constraints of a live operational airport, requiring careful coordination around underground services and strict obstacle limitation services (OLS) height restrictions—ranging from 9 metres at the western boundary to 13.5 metres at the eastern end.
McLaren has developed a bespoke methodology to avoid night-time work and ensure safe, efficient delivery within Heathrow’s high-security perimeter. Replacing four 1950s-era warehouse buildings, the new logistics hub will comprise four Grade A structures, each split into eight units. The 32 units will range from 200 to 400 square metres, with scope for full mezzanine expansion to support small and medium-sized businesses serving the airport’s cargo and support operations.
“These new Grade A warehouses represent a major transformation from the site’s post-war buildings,” said David Gavin, McLaren’s managing director for industrial and logistics. “Their sustainable design highlights how far industrial development has moved on, and they now form an integral part of the airport’s infrastructure.”
Wood Central understands that construction will rely heavily on off-site manufacturing. Steel frames will be factory-assembled, dismantled for transport, and re-erected onsite. Roof panels will arrive in 16-metre continuous sections, pre-fitted with edge trims, gutters, and solar arrays. CLT roof sections will be delivered fully sized and finished, reducing onsite waste and accelerating build time: “This infrastructure investment will provide prime logistics accommodation to our Heathrow partners,” said Alistair Awcock, Infrastructure Director for Heathrow Airport. “It modernises, strengthens and adds capacity to our perimeter property portfolio, supporting our customer strategy.”
Developers are looking to mass timber for warehouses
Heathrow’s push to trial timber comes after Wood Central revealed that Europe’s top logistics developers are now ditching reinforced concrete for timber, with one of the EU’s largest developers breaking ground on one of the world’s largest all-timber warehouses in Southern Germany. Dubbed the “timber logistics hall,” the 27,000-square-metre warehouse will be built over a 47,000-square-metre leasehold in one of Southern Germany’s busiest trading areas.
“The new hall is a flagship project for us,” said Adrian Zellner, a member of the Garbe Industrial Real Estate Executive Board. It is our first logistics building, which we constructed entirely from timber.”
“As wood is a renewable raw material, we can further improve the eco-balance of our new buildings. According to initial calculations, for example, we expect a CO2 reduction of up to 66% compared to a development using conventional reinforced concrete construction.”
- To read more about why global warehouse developers want to switch from reinforced concrete for mass timber, click on Wood Central’s special feature.
