Liam Gaillard

The research looks at challenging the troubling and expanding issues in South Africa, the growing disconnect between vocational education and the industrial skills needed and required to address the skills gap in Johannesburg’s struggling economy. At its central core, the study investigates how Experiential Architecture, the actual space in which students learn, can transform vocational schools from stigmatised and overlooked environments into dynamic spaces for learning, community and possible innovation. By reimagining the physical spaces where crafters learn and train, this project aims to bridge the gap and blur the line between theoretical instruction and practical, industry-aligned skills while being able to address urban decay through the adaptive reuse of derelict industrial sites.

Johannesburg was once central to South Africa’s industrial revolution, but now it has come to grips with abandoned factories and underutilised infrastructure. Like the Johannesburg Municipal Transport (JMT) building, these spaces have slowly become relics of the city’s manufacturing past. A symbol of both economic decline and untapped potential. The proposed approach moves beyond traditional classroom models, where vocational training often occurs, in variations of “white box” spaces, generic, uninspiring environments that ultimately fail to reflect the dignity or complexity of artisanal trades.

However, through Experiential Architecture, this opportunity creates a synthesis that integrates the materials, workflows, and cultural narratives of each specific trade into the fabric of the building itself. For example, a carpentry workshop might use and expose timber framing techniques on its walls, turning structural elements into teaching tools, and a metalworking studio could repurpose raw steel beams from Johannesburg’s abandoned factories. This all works towards connecting its learners to the city’s industrial heritage. These spaces are designed not just to instruct but to inspire, using tactile surfaces, spatial layouts, and visual storytelling to deepen a makers connection to their crafts.