Timber Tectonics
Published:
Description:
This pavilion is the result of a research project exploring new building techniques through computational design and robotic fabrication. It represents a re-use exploration of Multi-Axis Timber Tectonics, a system originally fabricated for a different government site in the City of Toronto. Timber Tectonics demonstrates how the principle of reciprocity can be applied to create a reciprocal frame structure, in which short timber members are interlocked to span large distances while maintaining structural stability. In this system, elements mutually support one another, forming an efficient and resilient structural network. At a time when the construction industry faces material shortages and increasing demands for efficiency, reciprocal frame (RF) structures offer a way to do more with less. RF structures can reduce material use, improve fabrication precision, and enable faster assembly, leading to lower construction and labor costs. This installation is the first robotically fabricated, doubly curved reciprocal frame structure in the Americas, and one of only a few realized worldwide. The project aims to raise awareness of this structural approach and encourage architects, engineers, and builders to further explore its potential.
Client: City of Mississauga - Cityhall
Funding: City of Mississauga: Arts & Culture
Location: Trillium Park, 955 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON M6K 3B9
Lead Collaborators: Nicholas Hoban, Rahul Sehijpaul, Shannon Hilchie, Brady Peters
Student Collaborators: Cameron Manore, Zhenxiao Yang, Selina AlMadanat, Liam Cassano, Paul Kozak, Renee Powell-Hines, Meera Thomas
Photography: Adam Pulicicchio