Belgian pharmaceutical and biotechnology company UCB specialises in research, development and marketing of drugs fighting diseases in the central nervous system, the respiratory tract, the inner organs and the immune system. In 2021, the studio of British designer Thomas Heatherwick was commissioned to plan the global UCB research centre. Thomas Heatherwick worked with the architectural office, Veretec, to support UCB's plans of expanding its innovative research and development activities in the United Kingdom. The project is located on a 47-hectare site in rural Surrey in the South-East of England and is also known as the Early Discovery Campus.

The architectural concept comprises the rehabilitation of the existing campus in Surrey and the construction of a three-storey timber building in its centre. The 19-hectare campus will replace the current UCB UK headquarters in Slough.

The solid wood construction consists of a special curved geometry with upright cross-laminated timber elements. This geometry was created by CNC processing and its visible areas were additionally sanded for greater appeal. A total of 1,600 m3 (1,292 elements) of glued laminated and cross-laminated timber were installed, with around 30% of cross-laminated timber elements having been milled in a curved shape.

This project was planned and processed by HESS TIMBER and manufactured to the client's specifications at three HASSLACHER Group production sites: NORITEC Holzindustrie GmbH in Stall im Mölltal (cross-laminated timber production as well as standard CNC processing), HASSLACHER Holzbauteile GmbH in Kleinheubach (three-dimensional CNC processing) as well as HASSLACHER Holzbausysteme GmbH in Hermagor (three-dimensional CNC processing).