{"id":31439,"date":"2025-12-22T10:47:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T00:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=31439"},"modified":"2025-12-22T10:47:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T00:47:22","slug":"no-metal-no-screws-no-worries-barbados-arts-centre-uses-worlds-largest-wooden-truss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/no-metal-no-screws-no-worries-barbados-arts-centre-uses-worlds-largest-wooden-truss\/","title":{"rendered":"No Metal, No Screws, No Worries \u2014 Barbados Arts Centre Uses World\u2019s Largest Wooden Truss"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Barbados\u2019 new National Performing Arts Pavilion \u2014 built using 24\u2011metre (80\u2011foot) timber trusses and engineered to withstand hurricane\u2011force winds \u2014 was assembled on site in just four months. Designed by Adjaye Associates as a \u201cmeanwhile use\u201d venue perched atop the permanent centre\u2019s foundations, the all\u2011timber structure forms the first phase of an 85,000\u2011square\u2011foot cultural complex now rising in the heart of the Barbados Heritage District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/barbados-pavilion-taps-japanese-craft-with-80-foot-timber-truss\/\">Wood Central previously reported that phase one reached practical completion in September<\/a>, and can now reveal that the second and final phase of the 85,000\u2011square\u2011foot Performing Arts Centre \u2014 the Caribbean\u2019s largest timber structure \u2014 remains \u201con track\u201d to open in mid\u20112026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The first phase of the Barbados National Performing Arts Pavilion has been finalised with crews installing the world&#39;s largest all-timber compression trusses. For more: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Vf3FL50Sg2\">https:\/\/t.co\/Vf3FL50Sg2<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/amQ1uUxEsH\">pic.twitter.com\/amQ1uUxEsH<\/a><\/p>&mdash; WoodCentralAu (@WoodCentralAU1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WoodCentralAU1\/status\/2002897399887602053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 22, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The first phase \u2014 which includes a \u201cmeanwhile use\u201d venue \u2014 was developed in collaboration with StructureCraft, one of the world&#8217;s leading timber engineering firms. Together, the team designed the pavilion around an enormous 80\u2011foot\u2011tall wood compression truss, the world&#8217;s largest all-wood compression truss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAchieving the 80\u2011foot clear span over Barbados\u2019 new centre stage presented a unique opportunity: an all\u2011wood truss, no metal, no screws,\u201d Lucas Epp, senior engineer at StructureCraft, revealed in a Wood Central article earlier this year. &#8220;The truss transfers 120,000 pounds of tension entirely through timber, replacing steel connectors with enlarged Okkake\u2011Daisen\u2011Tsugi joints drawn from centuries\u2011old Japanese joinery.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStructural optimisation transforms the traditional tension\u2011compression webs into pure compression \u2014 a truss reimagined as an arch,\u201d Epp added. A recent StructureCraft post further revealed that slender cables brace the sloped glulam columns to their foundations, creating a visible lateral\u2011force system capable of withstanding hurricane\u2011force winds while celebrating timber\u2019s natural elegance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Barbados is increasingly turning to timber and offsite construction to build disaster-ready infrastructure. For more: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jGVCmRzQlD\">https:\/\/t.co\/jGVCmRzQlD<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Qp30cv5Gp9\">pic.twitter.com\/Qp30cv5Gp9<\/a><\/p>&mdash; WoodCentralAu (@WoodCentralAU1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WoodCentralAU1\/status\/2002900711307448826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 22, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Designed for longevity in a region exposed to tropical storms, the pavilion incorporates timber elements that will be reused in the permanent performing arts centre \u2014 a strategy that reinforces its low\u2011carbon, climate\u2011responsive design. The component\u2011based construction system also enabled the entire structure to rise in just four months, demonstrating the efficiency of prefabricated mass\u2011timber assembly at scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When complete, the Barbados National Performing Arts Centre will include a 1,500\u2011seat auditorium, rehearsal studios, public terraces, and a suite of cultural amenities. The timber pavilion now standing on the site serves as the primary structural element that will remain in place, transforming what began as a temporary installation into a permanent venue built to last decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Please note<\/strong>: Lucas Epp will further discuss themes of timber innovation, computational design, and structural craft as a guest speaker at Design\u2011Tech Talk 8.0, an upcoming online event organised by PAACADEMY on January 10\u201311, 2026. The two\u2011day program brings together architects, engineers, and researchers to explore how advanced design tools, AI\u2011driven workflows, and digital fabrication are shaping contemporary architectural practice, extending conversations like those used in the Barbados project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Barbados\u2019 new National Performing Arts Pavilion \u2014 built using 24\u2011metre (80\u2011foot) timber trusses and engineered to withstand hurricane\u2011force winds \u2014 was assembled on site in just four months. Designed by Adjaye Associates as a \u201cmeanwhile use\u201d venue perched atop the permanent centre\u2019s foundations, the all\u2011timber structure forms the first phase of an 85,000\u2011square\u2011foot cultural complex [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31441,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"default","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[51,3,38,37,35,33,41,2,32,46,42,39,43,31,40],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[70],"class_list":{"0":"post-31439","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-americas","8":"category-architecture","9":"category-architecture-and-design","10":"category-building-and-construction","11":"category-case-studies","12":"category-editors-picks","13":"category-exterior-wood-products","14":"category-featured","15":"category-global-news","16":"category-industry","17":"category-interior-wood-products","18":"category-mass-timber","19":"category-structural-wood-products","20":"category-top-stories","21":"category-wood-products"},"authors":[{"term_id":70,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jason","display_name":"Jason Ross","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg","url2x":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31439"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31443,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31439\/revisions\/31443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31439"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=31439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}