The Martha Trust building was constructed by B&K Structures. Harlow Timber Systems was heavily involved in the design of the roof to meet the strict requirements of the steel structure in place for the centre core of the building.
The roof is formed using dual, preformed mono-pitched trusses set out in a radial pattern on either side of a 2.5m wide flat roofed which accommodates sun pipes to allow daylight into the accommodation below. The trusses measure 8m and 7.5m respectively from external to internal wall plate; spandrel panels are incorporated alongside party-walls. With the trusses fanning out from 300mm centres on the inner curve to 600mm centres on the outer curve, a key challenge was to bend the bracing to follow the shape of the roof. The external overhang of the eaves was cut short in specific areas allowing raised parapets and inboard gutters to form features of the external elevation.
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