This timber performing arts pavilion, created for the Caribbean Festival of Arts, demonstrates the structural potential of mass timber at a significant scale. A key challenge was achieving the large, open performance space while minimising reliance on steel connections. The solution centres on a 24m span timber truss, configured to maximise compression forces and enable the use of traditional timber joinery throughout the primary structure. Engineered to resist hurricane-force winds, the pavilion successfully performed through the 2025 hurricane season.
Delivered under demanding programme, material and logistical constraints, this project demonstrates exceptional engineering ingenuity. A predominantly timber structure was developed using innovative all-timber connections and traditional joinery techniques at an unprecedented scale, reducing reliance on imported materials. Judges valued the adaptability of the design, including provision for future reuse and reconfiguration. Training local tradespeople and building confidence in timber construction created lasting community benefits, while the precise execution of the hurricane-resistant structure highlights the strength of collaboration between designers, craftspeople and the local workforce.