Timber Square sets productivity benchmark with hybrid build and data-led delivery
Modern tools and techniques enhance labour performance on a flagship Southwark office.
7 January 2026
The Timber Square development in Southwark, London, has achieved above-average labour productivity rates during construction, following a data-driven approach to deliver its complex hybrid superstructure. Mace's mixed-use scheme, which is targeting net zero carbon, forms part of a wider push for sustainable urban regeneration and performance-led building.
As part of the Construction Productivity Taskforce’s Pilot Sites programme, the Timber Square team applied real-time monitoring tools to assess site activity and labour performance. Technologies such as crane telemetry, time-lapse video, turnstile data, and digital site diaries were used to track installation progress and adjust strategies as needed.
The 360,000 sq ft Grade A office project comprises two distinct buildings: the refurbished and extended Print Building and the new-build Ink Building. The hybrid design combines steel and cross-laminated timber (CLT) components, requiring detailed sequencing and coordinated logistics.
Although the scheme fell short of planned production rates, averaging 45 to 45.5 sq m of floor space installed per day, it delivered notably strong productivity per worker. The Ink Building achieved 0.53 sq m per worker hour, more than double the London average of 0.21. The Print Building followed with 0.44 sq m per worker hour. These gains were achieved despite weather disruptions, including 23 days of wind-related crane downtime.
The hybrid construction method contributed to efficiency by reducing the number of required trades and eliminating the need for slab steel fixers or concrete gangs. Crane usage was also optimised, peaking at 20 hours per day with an average 65% utilisation.
The project’s findings offer wider lessons for modern construction, particularly in relation to prefabrication potential, sequencing of hybrid materials, and the integration of data into site management practices. Insights from Timber Square are now being shared across the industry through the Construction Productivity Taskforce.
