Beech Court Pavilion, Abingdon School

A new dining pavilion featuring a complex steel canopy frame and feature glulam diagrid roof.

Intended to integrate the theatre and existing school, Abingdon School's new dining pavilion - featuring a complex steel canopy frame and feature glulam diagrid roof -  is a contemporary and dynamic space, designed to be a hub for school life

This project showcases our expertise with complex timber design. Challenging fabrication, design and erection of the major trusses and diagrid roof required thorough pre-planning and close collaboration, from concept to completion. The result was a flawless onsite phase, and the canopy was delivered on site in only 8 weeks.

The complexity of the roof structure (with stepped interfaces between the quadrants) posed unique challenges in terms of design, planning, prefabrication, and subsequent installation - requiring substantial timber expertise and experience. Therefore, the BKS installation project manager was involved from the initial stages, to ensure that assembly could be carried out to a very tight timetable and an unusually high degree of accuracy. The work also required the design, erection and eventual ‘cut-and-carve’ removal of a temporary steel frame, once the permanent structural members were aligned and fully secured. 

A key driver for the client was designing the pavilion to maintain a connection to the outside landscape, and as such exposed structural timber was an ideal solution. The use of a feature glulam diagrid roof ensured students benefit from the biophilic qualities of the natural materials, and the pavilion has green views in all directions.

The space has been designed to facilitate changing functions throughout the day, acting as a dining room, a café, a study space and even a theatre spill out area. It also includes a sedum roof, raised beds and a tree lined approach which allows the pavilion to fit sensitively into the landscape within a garden setting.