Waugh Thistleton Architects

Working with the Building Crafts College, a leading provider of construction crafts training in the UK, our proposal expanded the College’s Kennard Road campus in Stratford by transforming an existing workshop into additional teaching space for site carpentry, joinery and stonemasonry. The project increased capacity to help meet growing demand for specialist construction skills.

The project was delivered during the nine-week summer break, ready for the new academic year in September.

A lightweight timber infill solution avoided alterations to the existing substructure, enabling a fast and efficient construction programme. Exposed timber soffits celebrated the building’s materiality and craftsmanship, bringing warmth, texture and character to the teaching spaces. Existing elements, including balustrades, were reused and upgraded to minimise material waste and extend the lifespan of materials already in use on site.

The design also enhanced the building’s environmental performance to create a comfortable year-round learning environment. Increased natural ventilation, solar control film to the existing rooflights and a cooling system to manage peak summer temperatures worked together to improve thermal comfort within the constraints of the existing building.