Day 6: Learning through making

Starting early in the morning we split in 2 groups, one started to make the lap joint that we had been working on during the weekend and the other group stayed in the Archive room to fill Alex in on our progress so far. Through the meeting we came to the realization that the frame we had already designed was a bit flimsy but had the potential to become stronger and sturdier as a laminate piece. Instead of using the timber posts already in our disposal we came up with the idea of laminating plywood panels together to create a better base and junction in terms of flexibility and load bearing.

Getting measurements for the cutting lines on the timber panels (Group 1)

Initial idea of junction between posts and beam

Morning meeting with Alex (Group 2)

Confronting our problems through sketchin

We grouped up as a single unit to discuss this idea and came up with sketches and different scenarios about  how we  could   use  the  plywood  panels  to create our  whole  design concept. First  idea  based on this theory was to  have  4 plywood  panels as  a base and beam  ( 2 on each side ) and in the middle there would be  an ''L''  shaped   plywood   laminate that  would  act  as  a  brace  between  the 2  sides. Apart from that bracing there would also be smaller pieces alongside the length of the beam and the post to hold it together.

We talked this idea over again with Alex and decided to go for a prototype that would be a small variation of the one we thought of. This version consists  of  3 pieces of plywood not put  together but  braced with  each other with timber in between creating a three layered sandwich that would  make the frame even  stronger. In my  personal  opinion  we  weren't  quite convinced  it would work out  but through constantly  improving the design while cutting the pieces, it turned out to be a really successful design process.

Presenting our model of the plywood panel idea

Cutting the plywood panel in identical pieces

Measuring and  drawing  precise  lines 

is essential to this part of the project as we are trying to create a prototype of the base and middle part of the post to get a sense of what is working and what is not.

Cutting the strips of plywood in 3 identical pieces

Experimenting with the possible variations of junction

Experimenting with different types of wood for bracing

Ply-timber-ply-timber-ply
The composition of our module

On the middle piece (picture below)
we create some kind of socket so it
can interlock with other pieces
vertically.

Cutting holes on the small bracing pieces for the pegs to go through

Inner brace for the base module

It seems  like  we cant  create a  lap
joint using plywood since the pieces
that the ply  consists of break  apart
when cut. Instead, we created a peg system which locks all the pieces together.

Composition of the base module

Our first prototype is ready

Workshop 7 after a long and hard Monday

 For the base we came up with a peg system that increases the total length of each post which is useful in the case of slanted ground. Through the creation of this part, we came across another problem that still needs to be addressed which is the base unit. A solid base is still required for the post to fit in and lock in place for more stability.

 If there is one thing to take away from today is that through the actual making of the prototype we spotted numerous new problems and found solution for previous ones that puzzled us. Coming up on Tuesday the construction of the 1:1 module which seems like a relatively easy thing to do, now that we are equipped with all the new experiences from today. An early morning meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at 10.00 am to work out the issues that still trouble us and get our hands on the 1:1 module.

Risk Assessment Document

Day 5: Now Stop! It's Hammer time!!

Even before having our coffee we queued for the workshop to get the electric drill and thus the day started early in the morning with great excitement about getting our hands on the used timber and actually doing something to get the process of building our project started.

Waiting outside the workshop at 9.00 am

Unfortunately most of the screws already in our pieces of wood were a bit slanted which made our work even harder. Four drill bits were completely destroyed in the process and most of the grooves in the screws were gone. After removing what seemed like a thousand screws we hammered down the pieces to extract the nails that were still binding them together.

Most of the screws are a bit slanted and rusty

Getting the screws out of the timber posts

Hammering down the timber in order to expose the nails

Screws, screws everywhere

While this was going on at the university, the rest of the group was getting ready to meet Alex at Bank station to discuss our ideas and get some feedback on the models and concepts. We met on the third floor of St Mary Woolnoth church in a small studio space at 1.30 pm. Who would even think that there would be a studio inside the church!!

The group outside St. Mary Woolnoth Church

After the discussion with Alex we held an informal meeting at Pret a Manger at King William Str. to exchange ideas about our progress and organize ourselves for the weekend to come.

Pret a Manger meeting in the afternoon

A brilliant idea is in the process

Discussing about changes and realignments

Over the weekend we will redesign braces, frame and structural points as well as a base. We don't want to get stuck in the design process that much since we already know that it didn't work out well for last year's group and led to an incomplete project. We are positive though that we will start building by the start of next week.

Day 4: Models and Stockpile

Today we had a meeting with Catherine who showed us some pieces of her work early in the morning relevant to our project to help improve our design in the context of thinking about the community we address our building to.

Presentation of Catherine in the morning

We talked about the concept we had already thought of through physical models and started thinking about the materials we will eventually use in order for the actual building to match our concept models.

Models and concept exchange

We started stockpiling all our materials in one place to get a sense of what we can actually build from all the ideas we have and get a bit more realistic about it. In the context of having our feet on the ground, we all gathered in the archive room once again to make some 1:10 models with real measurements from the timber in our stockpile.

The quality of the timber in our disposal (or at least the majority of it)

Stockpiling all the timber behind AVA

Modelmaking in 1:10 

While most of us were busy with the models and brainstorming new ideas, Jas was down at the workshop trying to create a prototype of the junction used for the timber frame.

Creating the prototype of the junction

Mistakes and recalculations

At this point we have a lap junction with pegs for support

Now for tomorrow we need to get up early and queue to be the first outside the workshop in order to get the electric drill and dismantle all the trusses as well as removing all the screws from the timber in our stockpile so we can use it properly. A meeting is also booked for 1.30 pm with Alex in central London to get some extra feedback for our progress.

Day 3: Presentation and feedback

We started early in the morning by compiling all the information necessary for the presentation whilst doing some last changes to the design. We used the computer space in AVA for some peace and quiet from the 2nd year students in order to get some more progress.

10 am meeting at the computer room AVA in preparation for the presentation

At 1.30 pm we presented our ideas to two representatives of Social Life and got great feedback from them and our project facilitators Roland and Alex. We are quite positive at this point that we are heading towards the right way in terms of our concept and thus we introduced new factors to our design process such as materiality, interlock / junction and deployability. 

Presenting Site analysis and original concepts

Presenting idea progression and core idea

One very important feedback we got was that we have to think of our design in the context of the materials in our disposal. Sadly, parts of our stock have disappeared and during our break we head out to look for the material thieves.

Looking for the material that was unfortunately taken from us

We met back at the Archive room once again to discuss our future plans from now on with Alex and our general approach to the project. 

Getting feedback form Alex

We also got some interesting ideas from the wood workshop manager which helped us realize some issues with the junctions and general bracing of our design. 

Discussing junction and interlock systems at the workshop

We held a final group meeting to discuss the final idea and get a first read on the risk assessment document. We like to think that our design is achievable and easy to deploy in a secure and safe way which makes us look at tomorrow's meeting with the client in a very positive way.  

Late afternoon group meeting 

Day 2: Concept Wars

Today Tuesday the 24th of September we held a meeting at 11 am outside Costa coffee in the Campus to discuss our individual perspectives of the project. It is amazing to find out how diverse is our architectural language along with the priorities and goals that we personally set for the project. We started off by looking at some sketches followed by renderings, physical models and research papers that demonstrated just how unique each architect is.

Every architect's bread and butter: Sketching

A more technological approach

Exploring an idea through model

Research and site analysis

We took a brake and met again in the library in full force while the rest of the group joined in to agree on the core idea on which we will base our final design. After many hours of discussion and conflict of ideas we came to terms and chose to combine some of the elements from three individual concepts into one that 

would portray the best result in terms of architectural language, functionality and means of construction.

Discussing our ideas that would lead to our core concept

Key component to what's next in our design process