Design Process
Better Timber Sourcing
The construction industry produces about 40% of the world's atmospheric carbon, as a consequence of the high heats needed to manufacture concrete and steel. Mass timber is seen as a sustainable solution to reducing the carbon footprint associated with building construction. Timber logging, however, has its own negative impacts on the environment. Trees sequester atmospheric... Continue Reading →
HygroShape: Self-Shaping Structures from ICD/ITKE
The projects introduced in this post are from ICD and ITKE, Both institutes are in the university of Stuttgart in Germany. ICD’s Research and teaching are in the field of computational design and computer-aided manufacturing in architecture. Research and teaching at the ITKE focus on the integration of structural design and architecture. [Some of the... Continue Reading →
Revolutionizing Wood
The world population has just surpassed the 8 billion mark and is continuing to grow exponentially. Within the next 2 decades it is predicted that around 70% of the world population will live in an urban center. Because of this rapid urban expansion, the construction industry will need to be able build upward, not outward,... Continue Reading →
MASS TIMBER IS ON THE HIGH-RISE
It is 2050, global emissions in the construction industry have decreased by 30%. Buildings are almost entirely carbon neutral with a substantial percentage sequestering emissions resulting in net positive offsets. The construction industry is seeing a boon in high paying, safe jobs. Populations throughout the world have access to affordable, equitable and healthy housing. These... Continue Reading →
Designing for Disassembly
The concept of the circular economy may be defined as a model of production and consumption which involves the sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. The AEC industry typically follows a linear model of extraction, fabrication, use, and disposal. This not only leads to the consumption of... Continue Reading →
Blumer Lehmann
Blumer Lehmann is an industry leader in Swiss timber construction. Their innovative team is able to bring the architect’s timber dreams to life through technical planning and assembly. They are best known for their innovative fabrications, which are created utilizing the best parametric technology available. Following 3D modeling, the engineering team creates realistic mock-ups to... Continue Reading →
Advantages and Implications of Utilizing Mass Timber for Structural Efficiency and Service Integration in an Educational Building (M.S. Terminal Project Proposal, By: Aaryn Gray)
The utilization of and advances in mass timber over the last decade have changed our perceptions of construction materials and building today. As mass timber buildings are rising in interest to the architectural design profession, the Building Industry as a whole is taking the initiative to further understand and develop new and more efficient solutions... Continue Reading →
Origami used for Architectural Geometry and Connections
This research aimed at furthering an understanding of the structural possibilities for architects when considering the geometry defined by origami folding techiniques. The design components of point, line, plane and volume are directly related to the vertex, folds, paper, and structure involved with origami. This research focused primarily on how this knowledge could be applied... Continue Reading →
MPP Panelized Affordable Housing
As my graduate presentation, I was able to present the graduate research project that I have been a part of this term and will continue throughout the year. The project is developing affordable, panelized housing utilizing Mass Plywood Panels (MPP) sourced from Freres Lumber in Oregon. The goal of this project is to construct a... Continue Reading →
Timber Tectonics in the Digital Age 