MCC

by Justina Pukinskaite

Margate Carpentry Centre is a school to learn carpentry skills for 16+ and an integrated woodwork shop for the community. It was important to ensure a programme where learning manual skills would be combined with occupation in the industry as a provision to ensure young people’s employability. Thanet has a significantly higher proportion of children in low-income families compared with the national average. In order to attract students side-lined by mainstream education Montessori pedagogy was chosen with a focus on a “discovery” model. Montessori architectural patterns provided a starting point for the school design: an hierarchy of interconnected spaces, different floor levels, exposed materiality. Site topography and future extension of the school effected structural strategy. Glulam timber frame is the primary structure, with CLT panel infill (covered by composite thermal insulation and chalk render) with an Qbiss Air facade system.