Integrated design, manufacture and construction for more predictable development outcomes
C2C has formed a strategic partnership with Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS)—the UK’s most experienced offsite timber frame manufacturer—to deliver high‑quality, programme‑certain building solutions for residential and mixed‑use developments.
This partnership brings together C2C’s proven construction delivery expertise with Donaldson Timber Systems’ industrialised offsite manufacturing capability, providing developers with a fully coordinated, low‑risk route from early design to project completion.
✔ Faster build programmes
✔ Greater cost certainty
✔ Consistent, warrantable quality
✔ Reduced delivery and investor risk
Why this partnership works for our clients
Developers increasingly require certainty around programme, cost, quality and compliance, alongside improved sustainability credentials.
By integrating manufacture‑led design with experienced site delivery, C2C and Donaldson Timber Systems operate as one aligned delivery team, reducing interfaces and uncertainty at every stage. Working in partnership enables:
-
Optimised structural solutions engineered for manufacture
-
Earlier technical and warranty‑focused design input
-
Coordinated decisions across structure, envelope and sequencing
-
Parallel manufacture and site preparation
-
Reduced exposure to weather, labour and supply‑chain risk
-
Consistent, repeatable quality across phases and portfolios
The result is a more predictable route to planning, funding, construction and successful handover.
This is not offsite as a product. It is offsite as a delivery strategy.
About Donaldson Timber Systems
Donaldson Timber Systems is the UK’s leading offsite timber frame manufacturer, with over 50 years’ experience and more than 150,000 homes delivered nationwide.
Formerly Stewart Milne Timber Systems, DTS became part of the Donaldson Group in 2021—a family‑owned timber business with more than 160 years of heritage in timber sourcing, engineering and manufacture.
Scale and Manufacturing Capacity
-
Two UK manufacturing facilities:
-
Westhill (Aberdeenshire)
-
Witney (Oxfordshire)
-
-
National manufacturing capacity of up to 9,000 homes per annum, supporting multi‑phase and portfolio delivery
-
Significant recent £10m investment in advanced automation, robotics and closed‑panel production lines at the Witney facility, increasing accuracy, throughput and quality assurance
This scale allows C2C to commit confidently to programme durations and installation sequencing, even on larger or phased developments.
Donaldson Timber Systems designs and manufactures open and closed panel timber frame systems, including the Sigma® II closed panel system, engineered for improved buildability and in‑use performance.
Key characteristics include:
-
High‑precision, factory‑controlled manufacture
-
Pre‑insulated external wall panels
-
Improved airtightness and thermal performance
-
Accredited external cladding system (in conjunction with Weatherby)
-
Earlier weather‑tight envelopes (typically 6–10 weeks sooner than masonry methods)
-
Compatibility with low‑carbon and Future Homes Standard design strategies
Systems can be further enhanced with factory‑installed windows, floor cassettes and value‑added components, reducing site labour and interface risk.
-
Offsite manufacture allows large elements of the structure to be produced in parallel with C2C’s site works.
For developers, this means:
-
Shorter and more reliable construction programmes
-
Earlier weather‑tight buildings
-
Reduced dependency on weather and site labour
-
Improved handover predictability across phases
This predictability supports earlier revenue, smoother funding drawdowns and reduced holding costs.
-
Traditional procurement often locks in design too late, exposing projects to variation and inflation risk.
With C2C’s offsite approach:
-
Structural design is finalised earlier
-
Manufacturing costs are fixed sooner
-
Interfaces and scope gaps are reduced
-
Late changes are minimised
The result is clearer budgets, fewer surprises and better commercial control.
-
Offsite construction reduces many of the risks that typically impact residential development:
-
Less site congestion
-
Fewer trades working concurrently
-
Reduced health & safety exposure
-
Lower risk of rework and defects
C2C integrates design, manufacture and site installation, reducing fragmented responsibilities and creating clear accountability for delivery.
-
Factory‑controlled manufacture delivers repeatable quality at scale, removing variability associated with traditional build methods.
Benefits include:
-
Precision‑manufactured structural systems
-
Robust quality assurance procedures
-
Reduced snagging and post‑completion issues
-
Proven acceptance by warranty providers and funders
Donaldson Timber Systems operates factory‑controlled QA processes, supported by comprehensive third‑party accreditation.
Key accreditations include:
-
NHBC acceptability
-
BOPAS+ accreditation (60‑year durability assessment)
-
BBA certification
-
STA Gold level membership
-
ISO 9001 (Quality Management)
-
ISO 45001 (Health & Safety)
These assurances are critical for:
-
Warranty provider acceptance
-
Funders and institutional investors
-
Long‑term asset performance
-
Reduced defect and remediation risk
This is particularly valuable for multi‑phase and portfolio developments, where consistency matters.
-
Offsite construction supports developers’ sustainability objectives by design:
-
Lower material waste
-
Efficient use of responsibly sourced timber
-
Reduced embodied carbon potential
-
Improved fabric‑first thermal performance
C2C’s offsite approach aligns with planning expectations, investor ESG requirements and long‑term operational performance goals.
-
Who offsite with C2C is for
This approach is particularly well suited to developers seeking:
-
Programme certainty on time‑sensitive schemes
-
Reliable delivery on multi‑phase developments
-
Reduced build risk in constrained or urban sites
-
Strong sustainability credentials
-
Confidence from funders, investors and warranty providers
DTS provides early technical input, BIM objects, design guides and regulatory support, ensuring schemes are optimised well before construction starts.
-
Private residential
-
Affordable housing
-
PRS and BTR
-
Apartments and mixed‑use schemes
-
Student accommodation and hotels
Applicable to:
Why C2C is different
Offsite success depends on how it is delivered, not just what system is used.
C2C brings:
-
Early technical and commercial input
-
Manufacture‑led design coordination
-
Realistic programme planning
-
Experienced on‑site delivery teams
-
One integrated route from concept to completion
By working in partnership with Donaldson Timber Systems, C2C removes the traditional disconnect between design intent, manufacturing reality and site delivery.
How our partnership works
01
02
03
Early engagement
Initial project review to understand objectives.
Design collaboration
Optimised for manufacturing efficiency.
Manufacture
Manufactured in a controlled factory environment.
04
05
Construction delivery
Site installation supported by experienced teams.
Handover and support
Quality assurance processes ensure smooth completion.
Offsite with C2C is about certainty.
-
Certainty of programme
-
Certainty of cost
-
Certainty of quality
-
Certainty of delivery
By combining industrialised offsite manufacture with proven construction delivery, C2C offers developers a more predictable, lower‑risk way to build.
