The King and Queen see Visitor Pavilion built by King’s Foundation students at Government House in Antigua
The King’s Foundation Building Craft and Conservation Programme for students from Antigua and Barbuda has come to its conclusion with a special ‘Live Build’ project at Government House in St John’s, which Their Majesties The King and Queen visited as part of their official visit to Antigua, hosted by students Kyla and Neal.
“Meeting The King and talking to him about the knowledge I’ve gained from the programme was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The skills that we have learnt with The King’s Foundation are invaluable. I’m a Building Contractor in Antigua, so learning the heritage skills and expanding my skills has opened my eyes to new ways of sustainable construction. Being at Dumfries House has been inspiring to see what can happen when culture, heritage and history are prioritised and preserved.”
Neal Thomas, graduate of the Building Craft and Conservation Programme
The programme saw eight students and two tutors visit the UK to gain hands-on experience in traditional building techniques and sustainable construction from expert tutors at The King’s Foundation. The partnership represents The King’s Foundation’s commitment to traditional skills sharing to protect heritage buildings across the Commonwealth.
The King’s Foundation collaborated with the High Commission for Antigua and Barbuda and The Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) to adapt the existing Building Craft and Conservation Programme to the needs of Antigua and Barbuda’s built environment. The four-week programme provided participants with the skills not only to restore heritage buildings, but to apply traditional crafts to contemporary construction, giving them the knowledge to pass on their skills to the next generation.
The ‘Live Build’ project, which acts as the final showcase for every Building Craft and Conservation Programme cohort, sees students put their traditional craft skills to the test – undertaking the design and build of an entire structure. The Pavilion project was led by the Commonwealth Heritage Forum (CHF), will be open for visitors to see during CHOGM at Government House and will act as a lasting legacy of the programme. The Pavilion was constructed using fully certified and sustainably sourced timber from the Specialised Timber Services in Guyana, and limestone from Antigua.
In April 2026, students on the programme met His Majesty The King, Royal Founding President, at the headquarters of The King’s Foundation, Dumfries House. His Majesty spoke to them about their work in sustainable construction, and heard about their time at The King’s Foundation sister sites, Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire and The School of Traditional Arts in Shoreditch. His Majesty was reunited with the students today on completion of the project, and Her Majesty was introduced to them for the first time.
“Our partnership with the High Commission for Antigua and Barbuda and ABCAS has been an exciting opportunity to help support traditional heritage building skills education in the country.
Jeremy Cross, Director of International Engagement at The King’s Foundation
“We are extremely proud of our students, who are great ambassadors for Antigua and Barbuda and have also become champions of The King’s Foundation’s work. It was fantastic to show Their Majesties the project this morning during their visit to Government House, and we are excited for others to see the ‘Live Build’ as international leaders gather at CHOGM this week.”