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III
INTRODUCTION
The main task of professional architects is to design buildings to
be built on site as physical structures. However, in architectural
education, the end product usually only consists of drawings,
scale models and 3D digital models. This book is a presentation
of the results of two integrated courses worked out in 2014,
Timberstructures A and B, using full-size models and
technical drawings for timber structure details as an important
educational tool.
The use of M = 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 in a safe environment where experimentation and
exploration are encouraged and valued. Thus, the students are
learning by doing.
The courses this year were full-time and 15 weeks in duration.
During the first week the students and teachers visited the site
for the stargazing structure case study in Rindal. A meeting
with the municipality, represented with the mayor, and an
arrangement in school and kindergarten was set up. The
students intended to collect the children’s ideas of a stargazing
structure as inspiration.
Over the following five weeks, the 15 students attending the
course designed their own individual concept proposals as
“paper on the wall projects”. After a presentation, the teachers
selected four of the proposals for further development by student
groups. The students could not work on their own project and had
to switch to another selected project. At the end of a two week
period, the four concepts were presented to the client, who gave
response for further development. Before the presentation, all
the timber structures were designed by Focus software to decide
the necessary dimensions on the components.
Two weeks were allotted for ordering components and
developing details; after which, the building process of M = 1:2
and M = 1:1 details began. During the next three weeks the
models and the drawings of the group projects were completed.
During the two last weeks, the students produced this report,
documenting the projects and the process. The report is
the actual documentation delivered by the students for the
examination and describes the two stages in the courses.
Full-size construction of details as a part of developing a project
has a significantly higher value than a “paper on the wall
project”. By developing their own architectural design in detail,
the students achieve increased insight into the development
of architectural concepts and into the inherent properties of
materials, structures, workmanship, fabrication, collaboration
and communication. Such skills are important for architects
who want to create innovative wooden architecture.
We wish to thank the municipality in Rindal for their
participating interest and collaboration. Special thanks to
the Talgø Company for their sponsorship financing both the
students visit to the site and the production of this report. Also
thanks to Moelven Limtre AS and Tresenteret helping us getting
affordable materials for the M = 1:1 detailing. Last, but not
least we wish to thank all of the students for their achievement.
Trondheim 2014
Jan Siem, Bjørn Otto Braaten and Arnstein Gilberg