About

This is a blog for the first collaborative course between Oregon State University’s Wood Science and Engineering and University of Oregon’s Architecture departments.  It is lead by Profs. Mariapaola Riggio and Nancy Cheng.  The class will study classic timber structural systems and examine how they are being transformed by digital techniques.

Tectonics is the art of deploying construction technology so that it plays an integral role in shaping a design. This course will focus on the three main factors that determine a building’s tectonics: the material, the tools and the design. Timber as a building material is experiencing a resurgence with the development of advanced wood products which may be custom engineered to open up new technical and design possibilities. Computing is dramatically altering design and material processes.

Thanks to Roseburg (http://www.roseburg.com/) and 9 Wood (http://9wood.com) for generously contributing to the class with a donation of lumber and plywood for the fabrication of our prototypes!