Some of the oak timber frame work in which we have been involved has won awards, such as the Olivier Theatre at Bedales School. Another notable project was the ECOSpace workshop at Lauder College in Dunfermline, Scotland, used for teaching timber-related crafts and construction skills – a real example of choosing a building material to support the topic which is being taught.

Schools, colleges and universities need to fulfil a demanding brief: they need to be places of quiet learning – and they need to be robust, standing the test of time. As if that weren’t enough, they need to be built to very tight budgets.

To meet these needs, it is (sadly) often the case that uninspiring building materials are used – such as exposed steel and breeze blocks – which can result in inhospitable buildings with little personality. By contrast, oak/timber is a building material which you would want exposed, so that it can be seen and appreciated.

Oak’s durability and beauty

Green oak timber has a warmth and character which is quite simply unmatched – it is highly durable, having proven itself over hundreds of years in many of the UK’s public buildings. It makes the ideal building material for high-use public buildings, as it doesn’t get tired with age, but actually improves as it matures.

The Olivier Theatre at Bedales School

A bespoke approach to oak timber-framed buildings

A key advantage to choosing Carpenter Oak & Woodland is our bespoke approach – everything we do is designed for each client’s specific needs. This is especially important in educational buildings, where the building needs to provide exactly the right environment for learning. This differs from institution to institution – for example, a school of dance would be totally different in design and construction from a college science building.