The topping out ceremony has taken place at a seven-storey apartment block in Bow Road, the first project in London to use the WAVE sustainable construction system (Timber Building Summer 2006).

The £10m timber panel construction development of 49 flats and three shops went up in record time, and the project is set to be completed within 12 months instead of the 18 months it would have taken using traditional building methods.

The panels were manufactured off-site, complete with pre-cut spaces for the doors and windows, and slotted into place on site.

The project, seen as a milestone in inner city housing, is being delivered by construction consultancy Avebury and will be owned and managed by William Sutton Housing Association.

Avebury CEO Peter Muir said that as well as reducing time and cost, the WAVE system would allow residents to benefit from low running costs.

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