Abstract
Arguably the balloon frame exemplifies the commencement of the embedment of structural performance within timber construction standardisation and a system innovation responding to socio-technical issues in domestic construction. Three recent residential architecture prototypes which embrace digital design to fabrication are discussed as continuing this tradition. Held as exemplars of the capacity potential of digital design to file-to-factory these projects offer an opportunity to reflect on questions related to material culture, the social networks of construction and the boundaries between architecture, structure, materials, and construction. This chapter raises a series of discussion points centred around the role of timber-based products, in a digitally enabled domestic construction industry.
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Notes
- 1.
As Mario Carpo argues in his book “The Alphabet and the Algorithm” (2011), indeed, ‘Technologies change rapidly “new” technologies in particular. To predict, and even interpret, new developments in cultural technologies on the basis of their recent history is risky, as one needs to extrapolate from a curve that is too short and build on evidence that has not been sifted by time’.
- 2.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans. It was an extremely destructive Category 5 hurricane that caused catastrophic damage along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to storm surge and levee failure.
- 3.
The base structure was assembled in 18 days and the white ornamentation components were assembled in 5 days. Data available on http://ddf.mit.edu/news/2014/project-summary.
- 4.
The WikiHouse Project was initiated in 2011 by Alastair Parvin and Nick Ierodiaconou of 00 Architects, a London-based design practice, in collaboration with Tav of Espians, James Arthur now with 00 and Steve Fisher of Momentum Engineering.
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Acknowledgements
The catalyst for much of the thoughts outlined in this article arose through numerous discussions with our colleagues at the University of Melbourne, Prof. Paolo Tombesi has been a feature of many of these conversations, for which we are appreciative. Some of the information on ‘Burst’ House*003 and *008 are gathered from a research project on the industrial potential of digital fabrication technologies commenced by the late University of Melbourne academic, Professor Bharat Dave, and concluded by Paolo Tombesi—chief investigator, Blair Gardiner—investigator, Sofia Colabella—research assistant; (Tombesi et al. 2016).
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Sofia, C., Blair, G. (2019). Housing Prototypes, Timber Tectonic Culture and the Digital Age. In: Bianconi, F., Filippucci, M. (eds) Digital Wood Design. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03676-8_37
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