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Introduction
The main task of professional architects is to design buildings
to be built. However, in architectural education, the end prod-
uct usually consists of drawings, scale models and 3D digital
models. This is a presentation of the results of two integrated
courses worked out in 2011, a theory course (Timberstruc-
tures B) and a design course (Timberstructures A) – using
full-size construction for timber structures as an important
educational tool.
The use of 1:1 full-size building workshops is a pedagogic tool
that enables architecture students to test their own design and
to experience the transition from representation to the actual
object environment where experimentation and exploration
are encouraged and valued. Thus, the students are learning by
doing.
The courses worked out this year where nearly full-time and
14 weeks in duration. During the first week the students and
teachers went on an excursion to view and discuss architec-
ture. The project site for the birdwatching tower case study
was also visited. The site was triangulated, and a precision
model of the site was produced to use for discussions. Over
the following 6 weeks, the 15 students attending the course
designed their own individual concept proposals as “paper
on the wall projects”. During the subsequent week, 4 se-
lected proposals were further developed by student groups.
The students could not work on their own project and had to
switch to another selected project. At the end of this period,
the 4 concepts were presented to the client. After a discussion
between the client and the teachers, one project was chosen
to be modified and then built. Two weeks were allotted for
ordering components and project modification and comple-
tion; after which, the building process began. The trusses and
the cladding were prefabricated in the workshop the following
week. During this week the client produced the foundations
at the site. The birdwatching tower was built at site over the
subsequent week. During the two last weeks, the students
produced a presentation, a report and a video documenting
the projects and the process. The report is following this intro-
duction unchanged, and describes the 3 stages in the courses.
Despite the fact that the built project is described in the third
stage, we will give a short introduction of it.
Figure 1) Sitemap
Figure 2) Project illustration before building
Figure 3) Platform behind the screen