Kindlehill’s team of artisans bring an impressive array of skills to the building process, but perhaps the most eclectic craft belongs to Matt, who specializes in pre-medieval construction techniques.
A native of Kent, he grew up surrounded by centuries old timber buildings, but thought little of them when he turned his professional attentions to mechanical engineering. But clearly something took root. In the early nineties, he could be found trawling the woods, mobile sawmill in hand, looking for unusual timbers to mill. With the resurgence in traditional building techniques, he began to learn the old ways of building.
Then, by chance, he was strolling past Shakepeare’s Globe Theatre on the South Bank of the Thames, so made a few inquiries. This landed him a job on one of the most ambitious speculative reconstructions of a 16th century building ever undertaken.
Such is the skill and wealth of experience Matt now brings to Kindlehill. He works with large dimensional timbers, most drawn to the pieces with twists and curves – the ones rejected by conventional builders. True to tradition, he works with green, unseasoned timber, milled along the grain and shuns metal fixing and in-fills in favour of timber pegs.
The benefits are both aesthetic and ecological. The most striking feature of the final building is its exposed structural frame. The timber beams, rafters, frames and joists are not masked by cladding but on show for all to admire. More of the tree is used than in a conventional build, so there is less wastage plus the wood is more fire resistant.
Some of Matt’s handiwork can be seen on the front veranda, but it is the performance space that will best showcase his work. The spiral shell promises to be a most unique building, bringing together expansive, modern, geometric lines with Matt’s pre-medieval timberwork.
Kindlehill School is a K-10 Steiner School that sits on a hill above the Wentworth Falls Lake, in the Blue Mountains, NSW. We are an independant school working creatively and in a contemporary way, out of the foundation of Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy for education.
