American architecture studio AMMA prefabricated mass-timber structures in Spain and assembled them in Barbados for the Oceana Innovation Hub, a school designed with a modular system that draws inspiration from local architectural traditions.
AMMA, the new practice founded by MASS Design Group cofounder Michael Murphy, was engaged by the nonprofit XQ Institute to design a prototype for a quickly deployable school built to withstand tropical storms.
According to Murphy, the project is envisioned as a model that could transform the “whole nation’s educational infrastructure” as Barbados faces increasing challenges from climate change.
“[The stakeholders] had a vision of transforming the whole nation’s educational infrastructure, with the entry point as changing the physical built environment, more broadly, as an island nation facing significant impacts of climate change that they are not responsible for,” Murphy told Dezeen.
Collaborating with Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley and Louisiana-based studio OJT, AMMA developed a mass-timber system inspired by the chattel house — a traditional, mobile wooden structure developed in Barbados in the 19th century to house emancipated slaves and temporary workers.
The team chose this design for its historical reputation for rapid construction and natural ventilation, as well as its distinctive pyramidal form, which enhances resilience against the region’s frequent hurricanes.
“The pyramidal, or many-angled, roof design helps in avoiding or mitigating significant wind,” Murphy said. “This is a building that breathes.”
“It really makes sense, climatically. It breathes naturally, has louvred windows, but also gets air through it. It doesn’t pop open with wind pressure.”
The studio partnered with Spanish manufacturer WoHo Systems to fabricate a glued-laminated timber structure that can be demounted and reassembled.
Inside, the timber beams are left exposed. The interiors are largely open, with the pyramidal roof — lined with cross-laminated timber (CLT) — culminating in a skylight at its peak. The entire structure was completed within 10 months.
The walls are constructed off the main frame, allowing internal water collection, and the studio implemented an innovative structural system where cross-beams meet mid-strut, preserving the interior’s openness and modular flexibility.
