Building With Trees: Steps Forward in Forest Informed Design

Abstract

This thesis builds on the roundwood construction methods of Ben Law, the experiments with grown form carried out at Hooke Park, and the forestry-to-building integration by the firm Whole Trees Structures. All three feature structural frames of grown timbers evoking the forest, with the bulk of lumber remaining industrially processed. Further integration of grown timber is impeded by the volume of data involved in measuring, working, and fitting to grown forms. Two advances are proposed in forest-informed design. The first introduces standoffs to simplify fitting – and sharpening the contrast between geometries. The second is to bypass the fitting problem by using puncheons, timbers flattened on the “working” side and flattened to lateral fit. Puncheons eliminate much sawing and waste, reduce energy inputs and improve carbon sequestration as compared to conventional mass timber. Investigations were carried out through demonstration models, furniture making, and a building design.