Assembling the Digital House by Hand: Lessons from Deep Engagement and Guiding the Experimental Impulse

Experiments in Timber Space Frame Design - Fabrication, Construction and Structural Performance

“…Within this methodology an iterative design process reflecting the four stages of action research was carried out. The basis for this was to reflect upon examples from both space frame design (Chen, 2013) and digital wood system design (Mcdonough, 2016;Albright et al, 2017). Initial ideas were modeled in a digital environment (Rhinoceros 3D), fabricated at a small scale (laser cut from medium density fiber board), assembled and reflected upon.…”

“…These range from new timber products (Cross Laminated Timber, Glue Laminated Timber), new environmentally friendly treatment technologies (Timber Acetylation) and the recent use of robotics in prefabricated timber construction processes (Harris, 2015;Alexander, 2007;Parvin, 2013;Chapman et al, 2014;Marriage, 2016). One category where innovation has been particularly concentrated is in the use of structural timber sheet materials and computer numerically controlled (CNC) fabrication to produce prefabricated structural building elements (Albright et al, 2017). This approach was pioneered by Lawrence Sass (2006) in the Instant House project in 2005 (Figure 1).…”

“…Consequently, the project used only a single material, eliminated all secondary fixings, could be built with only four tools, and was entirely 'digital' in its conception (Sass, 2006). This project has inspired a range of industrialized solutions based on the same ideas, including the WikiHouse and the Facit Homes System (also Figure 1) (Parvin, 2013;Albright et al, 2017). Both use end-to-end digital design and fabrication processes, and a similar 'stressed skin' structural configuration.…”