Donaldson Timber Systems

Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS) was proud to support a recent visit from members of the House of Lords’ Built Environment Committee as part of its inquiry into the future of modern methods of construction (MMC).

Chair of the Lords Select Committee, Lord Moylan, along with Lord Best, Baroness Eaton, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Earl Russell, and Baroness Thornhill, first visited West Herts College’s, Hemel Hempstead campus to learn more about the apprenticeship programme offered in partnership with DTS.

As announced earlier this year, the 2.5-year programme, open to students on the College’s Level 2 City and Guilds carpentry course, comprises four days per week working on-site, and one day per week attending the College. The in-class modules include an additional module that will focus on MMC for offsite manufactured timber frame, which was developed in partnership with DTS. This covers an understanding of construction technology; health and safety; an introduction to MMC and offsite timber frame build systems; together with understanding construction information, materials, and the installation process, including site project communications.

The Committee then travelled to Spencer’s Park in Hemel Hempstead, a Countryside Partnerships development, to see first-hand MMC actually taking place on site. The 600-plot development has built its houses using DTS’ Sigma II closed panel timber frame system.

The award-winning, BOPAS+ accredited and BBA Certified build system, is designed to achieve superior levels of external wall performance, suitable for projects seeking to attain the very highest fabric efficiency standards. With excellent thermal properties and air-tightness, the Sigma® II Build System offers reduced on-site material and labour costs, by using conventional materials in a more effective manner.

Simon Horn, Technical Development Manager at DTS, said: “The visit from members of the Lords Select Committee was an extremely valuable opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the future of MMC and the wider timber frame industry, through our partnership with West Herts College, as well as showcase the benefits of MMC on a live site at Countryside Partnerships, Spencer’s Park, Hemel Hempstead.”

“Although the Committee’s inquiry is investigating some of the recent challenges the industry has faced with MMC and Cat 1 Volumetric build systems, we were proud to show them our success and the importance of investing in established, sustainable technologies, for Cat 2 Panelised build systems and in training the next generation. We thank the members of the Committee for their time.”

Gill Worgan, Principal and CEO at West Herts College said: “We were delighted to welcome members of the House of Lords Built Environment Committee and colleagues from Donaldson Timber Systems to our Construction and Engineering Centre at our Hemel Hempstead campus.

“The visit provided a valuable platform for discussions surrounding the evolution of construction skills and the pivotal role modern methods of construction play in shaping the industry’s future.
At West Herts College we’re working closely with employers such as Donaldson Timber Systems to ensure that our students are equipped with the modern skills required to step into careers in the construction sector.”

Three local schoolchildren have won a competition to name robots at Donaldson Timber System’s (DTS) factory in Witney, the leading UK offsite timber frame manufacturer.  

 Pupils from Years 3 and 4 at West Witney Primary School took part in the competition after being taught about the installation work at the factory and receiving a lesson about timber frame and its sustainability benefits. They were then encouraged to come up with creative or ‘punny’ names for nine new robots, which are part of a live factory upgrade that will be completed this year.  

 The children submitted over 80 entries, which were all reviewed by a panel of judges at DTS including Managing Director, Rod Allan; Manufacturing Director, Frank O’Reilly; and the company’s Business Development Director, Mike Perry.  

 With two sets of three robots that work together, the first set will be named ‘Woody’, ‘Buzz’ and ‘Splinter’, chosen by Charlie aged 8. The second set of three robots will be called ‘Woody Woodpicker’, ‘Winnie Woodpicker’ and ‘Sarge’, suggested by Millie aged 9.  

 The final successful entry is ‘The Lumberghini’ proposed by Clara aged 9, which will be the name of DTS’s new beam saw.  

 The robots are being installed as part of a large investment programme in DTS’s state-of-the-art factory to help increase capacity to produce its Sigma® II closed panel product. This is an award-winning closed panel timber frame system that achieves high levels of fabric performance for new homes. 

 Each winner was presented with a trophy and a £25 Amazon gift card at the school’s assembly. DTS has also donated £250 towards West Witney Primary School’s library upgrades for the next academic year. 

 Mike Perry from Donaldson Timber Systems said: “The robots are a welcome addition for our DTS team as they will help our manufacturing team in their daily roles, especially with manual lifting. It’s been great fun working with children at West Witney Primary School to help name these brilliant machines, and we’re glad we could include the local community in this exciting new investment for our factory. DTS is proud to be an early adopter of robotics technology in our sector. They will help us make our current manufacturing process easier and more efficient, allowing us to work smarter.” 

 Jules Burgum, Year 4 Teacher at West Witney Primary School, added: “The children were fascinated about the whole process of building timber frames and the role of the new robots. They had fun thinking up creative names and are looking forward to seeing evidence of the robots in action. Thank you very much to the team at DTS for the opportunity.” 

 As part of the Donaldson Group’s Offsite division, DTS prides itself on being highly sustainable, innovative and efficient. With unrivalled experience and knowledge in offsite construction, DTS has an established history of bringing new commercial and operational innovations to the market. One example is the Sigma II closed panel system, offering near-Passivhaus standards of performance and sustainability. The system is being widely used with housing developers, particularly with those driven by whole life costs and fabric performance, contributing positively to fuel poverty challenges. 

Donaldson Timber Systems’ (DTS) fixings supplier for its Witney factory, YB Fixings, has donated two nail guns to support DTS’ apprenticeship programme with West Herts College.

Beneficiary of one of the nail guns, James Hammond, has been undertaking an apprenticeship with DTS and its service level agreement partner, S.E. Carpentry, for five months as part of the College’s Level 2 City and Guilds carpentry course. The second will be used by the second apprentice who will join the team shortly. Worth over £1,200, the nail guns will support James’ skills development in timber frame construction and bolster his future career in the construction industry.

Under the 2.5 year programme, each apprentice will spend four days per week on-site, delivered by S.E. Carpentry, with one day focusing on in-class modules, including an additional module on modern methods of construction (MMC) for timber frame that was developed in partnership with DTS.

Commenting on the donation, James said: “I’m grateful to YB Fixings for the nail guns, which will be vital in gaining hands-on training and developing my skills in timber frame construction. It has been fantastic to learn from the DTS and S.E. Carpentry teams and I’m excited to develop my experience over the next two years.”

Joe Romo, Senior Contracts Manager at DTS, said: “At DTS, we’re committed to enabling skills development in the next generation so it is brilliant that our suppliers and partners also support our partnership with West Herts College. We’re already seeing incredible progress in our first apprentice and we look forward to continuing to support their learning and development.”

Spencer Earl, Director of S.E. Carpentry, said: “We are very pleased to be part of this pioneering scheme, delivered by West Herts College and supported by DTS, to further educate apprentices in our sector of the construction industry. James is the first in hopefully a very long line that will become part of the S.E. Carpentry family.”

Rachel Hudson, Managing Director at YB Fixings, said: “Investing in the tools of an apprentice is sowing the seeds of a skilled craftsman. By donating the tools needed for their trade, we empower them to shape their future with their own hands, unlocking a world of possibilities. We hope to help build a stronger and more skilled workforce for generations to come and YB Fixings are excited to be a part of this with DTS.”

Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 163-year-old Donaldson Group comprises a total of 16 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK from 49 locations employing over 1,700 people. The businesses that make up the Group trade and operate independently, sharing best practice, innovation, purchasing synergies, and market analysis.

Leading UK offsite timber frame manufacturer, Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS), has launched the Donaldson Timber Systems House Range. 

The range of 18 core house types includes cottage flats with a mix of 1 and 2 bedrooms; semi-detached and detached 2-bed bungalows; and a selection of detached, semi-detached, and terraced homes of 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms. 

DTS worked closely with experienced architects and planning consultants and designed the range in conjunction with a leading UK housebuilder to ensure the house types met regulatory housing needs across the UK. 

The homes are designed to maximise the benefits of Design for Manufacture of DTS’ Sigma II closed panel timber frame system, as well as the site installation for both the superstructure and all follow-on trades. The specified components are also consistent, using a limited range of window sizes and uniform bathroom and WC setting-out to ensure the efficient procurement of materials from a variety of manufacturers. 

Each home also incorporates individual design flexibility to allow for changes like the addition of showers in ground floors; built-in wardrobes; additional kitchen storage; and space for air source heat pump hot water cylinders, so they are future-proofed for simple adaptions to suit lifestyle changes or improved energy efficiency. 

Utilising DTS’ Sigma II closed panel timber frame system, the house range provides long-term energy efficiency; meets and exceeds Homes England’s minimum requirement for a Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV) of 55% using only the timber frame build system; and allows the frames to be windproof and watertight on site in one day. The homes are also land-efficient, with the width of each floorplan reduced to ensure roads, footpaths and services are minimised, and a consistent depth of floorplan allows different house types to be simply built as terraced blocks. 

John Smith, Technical Director at DTS, said: “We are working closely with the wider housing sector to drive continued quality and performance standards, and our new house range provides both to the market. We conducted extensive research in the sector across the UK to understand the needs of residents, developers, planners, and all relevant regulations, and these house types provide homes that are designed to offer maximum flexibility while meeting all space standards in the most efficient way possible.  

“Sustainability and efficiency are also key to the sector, both for speed of build and longer-term performance for residents. Our timber frame system’s fabric-first approach comes with embodied carbon calculations and PMV assessment for each house type, to ensure sustainable, resilient, and affordable homes that efficiently meet the current build regulations and can be easily and simply updated to achieve the requirements of the Future Homes Standard.”  

The house range is supported by a suite of architectural design information with Level 1 BIM models. DTS is also developing further supporting information, including SAP calcs, specifications, schedules and build costs for the full house range. Having this information in place will not only allow customers to reap the benefits of the efficiency of the house types, but vastly reduce the lead-times and up-front costs associated with developing a range of house types from scratch. 

Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 163-year-old Donaldson Group comprises a total of 16 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK from 46 locations employing over 1,700 people. The businesses that make up the Group trade and operate independently, sharing best practice, innovation, purchasing synergies, and market analysis. 

We’re delighted to share that Donaldson Timber Systems is exhibiting at Footprint+ 23! From the 6^th to the 8^th of June, Donaldson Timber Systems will be exhibiting at stand C36. Visit us to find out about the sustainable benefits of timber.

Footprint+ brings different sectors of the UK property market together to discover and discuss how we can achieve Net-Zero targets in the real estate industry. Focused on sustainability and how the housing sector can work together to make strides towards a greener future, Footprint+ brings together developers, local authorities, housing associations, investors and asset managers of large portfolios, as well as many more stakeholders involved in the housing sector.

We are also excited that our very own Technical Development Manager, Simon Horn, will be speaking on the 7^th of June at 12:15. On the Timber Stage, Simon will be discussing ‘Timber in Social Housing’. The panel will provide a roundup of the new and exciting products and projects embracing the reduction of carbon in the affordable housing sector.

Over the 3 days, attend cutting-edge conferences, network with experts, and visit us at stand C36 to talk about all things timber frame and sustainability.

Book your tickets here: https://eventdata.uk/Forms/Form.aspx?FormRef=FBR63Vistitor&TrackingCode=Website

Leading UK offsite timber frame manufacturer, Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS), has partnered with West Herts College to offer an apprenticeship programme in support of the next generation of talent in the construction industry for timber frame construction.

The partnership originated with DTS’ appointment to the Hertfordshire OSM framework, which included the commitment to engage with the local College. The 2.5-year programme was open to students on the College’s Level 2 City and Guilds carpentry course.

The apprenticeship will include four days per week on-site, delivered by one of DTS’ service level agreement partners, Bedfordshire-based S.E. Carpentry. One day per week the apprentices will attend the College to work on in-class modules, including an additional module that will focus on modern methods of construction (MMC) for timber frame, that was developed in partnership with DTS. This covers an understanding of construction technology; health and safety; an introduction to MMC; and understanding construction information, materials and the installation process, together with site / project communications.

Simon Horn, Technical Development Manager at DTS, said: “We were connected to West Herts College through our work supporting a regional consortium of housing providers and Local Authorities, to improve the delivery of housing at a local level and develop local enterprise partnerships. Supporting skills development in the next generation is crucial to the ongoing evolution of the UK construction industry, and is something we’re committed to at DTS, so working with the College to grow and support talent was a great fit.”

“This apprenticeship programme is a pilot project for DTS and is something we would like to roll out in more areas, with more partners, in time. We’re aiming to provide real opportunities and increase motivation, while simultaneously helping to fill the skills gap in our industry.”

Sian Williams, Curriculum Director at West Herts College, said: “We’re excited to partner with DTS on this programme to give our learners an opportunity to receive hands-on training and develop their understanding of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). It has been fantastic to work closely with DTS to develop MMC modules that incorporate new design and technologies that enable our learners to gain the most current and update knowledge and skills linking into a variety of curriculum courses.”

Gill Worgan, Principal and Chief Executive of West Herts College Group also commented: “Our partnership with the team at Donaldson Timber Systems is so important to us, and a fine example of what can be achieved when education and employers work together.  I hope we can build on these successes going forward.”

Spencer Earl, managing director of S.E. Carpentry, added: “We’re proud to partner with DTS and West Herts College to provide two apprentices with the opportunity to learn from our team and develop their skills. It’s also unquestionably a great benefit for our business, as we will have two qualified installers at the end of the programme who are trained to work on DTS’ timber frame build systems.”

Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 163-year-old Donaldson Group comprises a total of 17 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK from 46 locations employing over 1,700 people. The businesses that make up the Group trade and operate independently, sharing best practice, innovation, purchasing synergies, and market analysis.

We are delighted to announce that Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS) has been accredited with an Outstanding Award for customer satisfaction in 2023 by In-House Research. The awards, run by specialist market research company, In-house Research, are based purely on our client feedback received through an independent telephone survey.

The Outstanding Award is given to companies who achieve an NPS® of 70 or above, with more than 50 completed surveys within the year by In-House Research. In the survey year covering projects from 1^st January 2022 to 31^st December 2022, DTS achieved an NPS® of 78.9 from a sample of 128 clients who instructed timber frame products from the company. The award recognises those in the housebuilding industry that put customers at the heart of everything that they do, to ensure first class customer service is delivered at every stage.

Mike Perry, Business Development Director at DTS commented: “The gold award is a fantastic achievement for our business and is a testament to the hard work that our teams carry out daily, as we strive to put our customers first in everything we do.”

Tom Weston, Chief Executive at In-house Research also commented, “It has been an extremely challenging few years for the construction industry.  Despite this, DTS has continued to put the client experience at the forefront of their business processes.  Client satisfaction has been high throughout the journey from sales, design, delivery and construction”.

“We are delighted to recognise all the commitment of all teams across DTS that have contributed to the achievement of this award”.

Leading UK offsite frame manufacturer, Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS), has become the first timber frame manufacturer to offer a verified Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV) score of 55% or more.

Following a six-month material and labour cost analysis completed by specialist construction consultancy, Cast Consultancy, the DTS Sigma® II build system has been verified to achieve a minimum of 55% PMV, increasing to 58% for a detached home.

In conjunction with the Stewart Milne Group, the DTS timber system was tested on a live project, on a range of building typologies, including a 2-bed mid terrace, a 3-bed end-terrace and a 4-bed detached home. In these tests, the DTS Sigma® II build system achieved a verified PMV of 55.7%, 55.8% and 58.4% respectively.

PMV is a way of calculating the proportion of a building’s construction that takes place offsite or near-site using any of the seven categories of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). It can be achieved through a combination of off-site, near site and on-site manufacturing techniques, as well as through materials innovation and site-based process improvement and technology.

The PMV value of Sigma® II is achieved by a combination of offsite elements of the build, including: traditional strip footings and in-situ suspended floor slabs; conventional brickwork external cladding; external doors installed on site; conventional felt, batten and tiled roof installed on site; services and internal linings to walls and ceilings installed on site; sanitaryware and kitchens installed on site; and pre-fabricated doorsets and stair flight, with handrail components installed on site.

The Affordable Homes Programme from Homes England, launched in 2021, requires all projects it funds to have at least 25% of the units delivered through MMC and a calculated PMV of 55%.

The verification by Cast confirms that DTS can achieve this target PMV value through the build system alone, when using the award-winning, BOPAS and BBA-approved, closed panel Sigma® II Build System. While the system can be used in conjunction with other offsite technologies to further improve PMV, Sigma® II achieves the target levels of PMV without reliance on any other off-site technologies.

Cast Consultancy has published a PMV Technical Manual explaining how the calculations are carried out. The baseline for the calculator, building a ‘traditional’ house without any additional MMC elements, provides a PMV of just 39.74%. While adding a basic structural framing system, such as timber frame (MMC Category 2a), raises it up to 44.74%, it still falls short of the required 55%. Setting the target of 55% is pushing the industry to innovate and to drive more offsite construction.

There are numerous benefits of increasing PMV, including increased quality and performance, improved productivity, minimal waste, faster on-site delivery and reduced health and safety risk.

John Smith, Technical Director at Donaldson Timber Systems, explains:

“We were confident that our Sigma® II Build System would deliver the required level of PMV, but it’s fantastic to be able to prove it. This is of particular interest to our clients who are building affordable homes, as this certification will make their lives easier when applying for funding through the Affordable Homes Programme because the use of Sigma® II alone achieves the minimum target required to unlock funding and secure land from Homes England.

“We have long championed the use of offsite timber frame construction as the best way to achieve efficiencies and sustainable building practices, and we have developed our timber systems to ensure they are market-leading in every way. Our award-winning, third party certified Sigma® II Build System is a robust and effective solution to achieving high levels of fabric performance.”

As part of the Donaldson Group’s Offsite division, DTS prides itself on being highly sustainable, innovative and efficient. With unrivalled experience and knowledge in offsite construction, DTS has an established history of bringing new commercial and operational innovations to the market.

The Sigma II closed panel system offers near-Passivhaus standards of performance and sustainability and is being widely used with housing developers, particularly with those driven by whole life costs and fabric performance, contributing positively to fuel poverty challenges.

Leading UK offsite timber frame manufacturer, Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS), has appointed Frank O’Reilly as manufacturing director of its UK-wide operations.

Frank began his career 23 years ago working in both Ireland and Australia on major civil infrastructure works, before focusing on timber frame, truss and pre-hung door set manufacturing. He moved to Scotland in 2011 to join what was then Stewart Milne Timber Systems in Westhill, and transferred to the Witney, Oxfordshire factory four years later.

In his new role, Frank will join DTS’ management board and will take a greater lead on continuing to develop the business’ customer offering, including the creation of future strategies for DTS’ manufacturing facilities. He will also provide support in developing processes across the wider business and assist other departments in building strong working relationships with customers.

Rod Allan, managing director of DTS, said: “Frank joined our business 12 years ago and across his various roles, has always approached them with dedication and a commitment to help support our growth plans.

“As we progress with our investment programme, manufacturing is an area that deserves the best of attention. Frank has been instrumental in the design and the ongoing refit of the Witney factory over the last two years. We look forward to Frank having greater influence and input into the ongoing development of our systems and services in what is a highly competitive marketplace.”

Currently led by the sixth generation of Donaldson, the 162-year-old Donaldson Group comprises a total of 17 specialist timber and building product businesses and brands, operating throughout the UK from 46 locations employing over 1,700 people. The businesses that make up the Group trade and operate independently, sharing best practice, innovation, purchasing synergies, and market analysis.

Leading UK timber frame manufacturer, Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS), has been appointed to the Building Better dynamic purchasing system (DPS) for MMC category 2 construction systems.

Building Better is an alliance of 30 housing associations and councils supported by the National Housing Federation. The objective of the alliance is to ensure its members have access to a variety of MMC solutions to provide suitable, trustworthy and high-quality solutions for every type of site they develop. The DPS was launched in May 2022 following its original volumetric framework in 2021 and aims to produce approximately 5,000 MMC properties by 2026.

In England, there is a total housing backlog of four million homes across the country. With new house build completions hitting just 175,390 in 2021, there was a shortfall of 164,610 completed homes that year – and the trend is expected to be similar for 2022. To address the overall shortfall, 340,000 homes need to be built every year until 2031. DTS’ appointment to the Building Better DPS will support this objective by increasing the number of timber frame homes constructed.

 Mike Perry, business development director of Donaldson Timber Systems, said: “We are thrilled to have been appointed to Building Better’s DPS and to have the opportunity to work with its members. With over 215,000 homes managed by the member organisations, it provides a great opportunity for us to increase our presence in the affordable housing market.

“MMC systems are an increasingly important consideration for developers of all kinds, and our offsite timber frame systems can play a leading role in housing associations and local authorities meeting the energy requirements of new homes. By demonstrating our quality and experience to Building Better, we are now a trustworthy resource for these members and look forward to working in partnership with its members.”

Trina Chakravarti, project director at Building Better also commented: “We are pleased to welcome Donaldson Timber Systems into our group of category 2 offsite manufacturing partners. Building Better is aggregating demand in the affordable sector so our members can procure high quality, sustainable offsite homes at the right price. We’re confident that Donaldson Timber Systems will be able to work with us and our members in delivering the sector’s housing ambitions over the next three years.”

DTS prides itself on being highly sustainable, innovative and efficient. With unrivalled experience and knowledge in offsite construction, DTS has an established history of bringing new commercial and operational innovations to the market. One example is the Sigma II closed panel system, offering near-passivhaus standards of performance and sustainability. The system is being widely used with housing developers, particularly with those driven by whole life costs and fabric performance, contributing positively to fuel poverty challenges.

Read more about Building Better here: https://buildingbetter.org.uk/