The Mass Appeal studio challenged a group of 16 students address to design a versatile panel system using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) capable of generating a wide variety of configurations and formal outcomes. The students – few of whom had any construction experience – were asked to design and build a series of pavilions in one semester using CLT left over from a construction project nearby. The original CLT panels measured 7.5’ x 35’ x 2.5” and weighed 1500 lbs each.
Without large scale milling or lifting equipment available, the panels had to be manually cut and moved, demanding a carefully designed construction process and exceptional teamwork. Fabricated off site, The pavilions arrived on site as a kit of parts, with more time required for the placement of scaffolding than for actual construction. An elaborate set of removable scaffolding was designed so each pavilion could be erected in series, taking only four hours for each to be assembled. Panels are anchored at the corners using custom steel brackets designed and fabricated by the students. Scrap CLT was fashioned into steps to the upper berm and a range of custom furniture for the pavilions.
Located in the center of campus, the pavilions educate students, faculty and the public alike on the capability and sustainability of mass timber.
PROJECT CREDITS
Mass Appeal: Mass Timber Design/Build Studio
Installation: April 2019 – present
Instructors: Visiting Professor Philip Tidwell with Jonathan Boelkins, AIA
Students: Kyle Adams, Elsie Anderson, Kyle Beard, Abigail Black, Michael Cockmon, Rachel Filgas, Patricia Gorgi, Jeremiah Hill, Joshua Levy, Michelle Mace, Chris McCall, Abigail Redmon, John Michael Scott, Chelsia Sooksengdao, Isaac Stanton, Leslie Torres.
Structural Engineer: Alex Font, ECI, Inc.
Fabrication Support: Emily Baker, Angie Carpenter, Justin Tucker, Dallas Myers, Corey Booth, Xavier Redmon, John Beard, David Boelkins
Photographer: Aaron Kimberlin