Architecture Commons^™

Behaviour-Based Wood Connection As A Base For New Tectonics, Marcin Wójcik, Jan Strumiłło

Conference papers

This paper joins into the debate on sustainable architecture and construction and the resilience of the architectural practice. It takes up the case of solid wood construction. Heterogeneity of timber is considered a disadvantage in construction. Wood industry utilises expensive processes in order to overcome rather than exploit natural wood properties. We suggest a different approach that could lead to the reduction of environmental pollution and more economic use of resources that is discussed with a proposed wood connection method based on harnessing material behaviour induced by a change of moisture relationships -- i.e. shrinkage. Two design paths are presented: …

Backtoback: A Bio-Cybernetic Approach To Production Of Solid Timber Components, Marcin Wójcik, Jan Strumiłło

Conference papers

This paper investigates the potential and implications of using naturally occurring material phenomena as a connecting mechanism for solid timber components. Proposed and discussed are connections based on anisotropic shrinkage and geometrical variability of trees. Using the notion of material agency in design, following the bio-cyberntic and biomimetic frameworks, solutions are devised to reduce energy usage, environmental pollution and utilise low-processed material. Finally, consequences of the fusion of the natural (analogue) and the digital realms are discussed, with an example of a workflow integrating inherent material traits with digital manufacture.

Wood Unscripted Potentials:How Can Material Deficiencies Become Strengths, Marcin Wójcik

Conference papers

This paper presentation investigates how wood traits that are seen as shortcomings for construction can be used to advantage and what kind of design methods and techniques that would require.

Wood has lost market shares as a raw material for mass production processes as a result of its individualised characteristics and difficult to predict behaviours. Reaction wood, spiral grain and juvenile wood – present in almost all timbers -- are seen as deficiencies, causing lower strength and extensive warp during drying. It is proposed to look for design methods and, techniques that utilise material information, such as the individual traits, …