Transforming timber
Open lecture series
June 20-27 2022
The construction industry is currently witnessing a global resurgence in the use of timber. This comes following a century that favoured new materials, notably iron and its improved counterpart steel, as well as concrete, which lead to novel architectural forms. It also saw the emergence of material science and the promotion of automation technology and fabrication techniques. Through the invention of laminated timber, wood has, since the 1960s, slowly been regaining a prominent position and risen as a modern construction material. This movement has been considerably growing against the backdrop of calls for more inclusive and holistic design approaches in the realm of an urgency for reducing carbon emissive materials.
The “re-discovery” of timber has coincided with the era commonly referred to as the "digital turn in architecture”1 which has drastically transitioned timber manufactory. New fabrication techniques have indeed enabled new assembly processes as well as the material transformation of timber23. This development has also been widely welcomed by an audience concerned with circular building and reaching lower carbon footprint levels.
The upcoming seminar will shed light on the state of the art of timber construction. It will host both academics and professionals whose practices are contributing in innovating the field. The subjects covered will include but not be limited to:
- A historical overview of timber construction
- Digital fabrication novelties and their integration in the industry of timber building
- Carbon footprint and life cycle assessment
- The transformation of the timber supply chain
- Design strategies to reduce the dependence on steel connections
1 Carpo, M. (2013). The digital turn in architecture 1992-2012. Chichester: Wiley.
2 De Rycke, Klaas & Tang, Gabriel & Chilton, J.C. (2017). Hermès Store, Rive Gauche Paris. Timber Gridshells, Architecture, Structure and Craft, Routledge.
3 De Rycke, Klaas; Bohnenberger, Sascha; Weilandt, Agnes. (2011) Lattice Spaces: Form optimisation through customization of non developable 3d wood surfaces. RESPECTING FRAGILE PLACES [29th eCAADe Conference Proceedings / ISBN 978-9-4912070-1-3], University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Architecture (Slovenia) 21-24 September 2011, pp.751-758
Follow all lectures on Zoom
https://zoom.us/j/4793485633
ID de réunion : 479 348 5633
Follow youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-dv5K3HhK1fqYYbyK3gp0w
More information on the Website
https://ensavlab.wixsite.com/ensavlab/copie-de-the-lecturers-2021
