Construction firm Morgan Sindall has installed thatch cladding on the UAE Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia.

The installation of the thatched cassettes cladding is one of the key sustainable elements being incorporated into the project, developed by the Adapt Low Carbon Group and delivered by Morgan Sindall.

Combining traditional craft with modern methods of construction, it is the first time the thatch cassette cladding system has been used anywhere in the world. It is anticipated that the technique could be replicated on many future construction projects.


The concept of thatch cassettes was conceived by Morgan Sindall and its design team with project architects, Architype. The process involves fabricating a set of timber cassette modules that are filled with straw in local thatcher's barns across Norfolk. The prefabricated thatch cassette panels are then transported to site and erected onto the façade of the building as a rainscreen cladding.

The cassettes have been constructed by joiners, Fox Joinery, and thatched in straw from the Norfolk Suffolk borders by a skilled team led by the Master Thatcher of East Anglia, Stephen Letch.

John French, project director and CEO of the Adapt Low Carbon Group, said: "Standing at the gateway to the UEA, The Enterprise Centre will make a striking statement about the University's commitment to the environment and continue its legacy of pioneering architecture. The building will look totally unique, and for local businesses and start-ups which take up tenancy in the building, it will be a unique place to work and grow their businesses."

(CD/JP)