ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
It ’ s common to see workers showcased in cheese factories and breweries but rare in forestry research labs .
inspire people to look up to appreciate the beautiful wood , as they might in a forest .
The layout also invites the public to look into the scientists ’ workspaces . It ’ s common to see workers showcased in cheese factories and breweries but rare in forestry research labs . An open layout also encourages chance and planned interactions between the scientists . The building fosters collaboration and public exchange , a perfect example of how purposeful design can positively influence people ’ s behavior .
Contextual design
Scion and the design team collaborated with the local Maori tribe to integrate their cultural values
into the building ’ s design . The Maori view the forest as a sacred space that provides protection . Following the tribe ’ s input , shades of green reminiscent of the diverse hues found in leaves on a tree adorn the building ’ s glass envelope . Not only is the Scion building combating climate change globally but it is also designed to minimize the impact on its local surroundings , helping protect and champion the spaces sacred to the Maori . Such contextual design harmoniously blends the building with its forested surroundings .
Made entirely of wood — impossible ?
An entirely wood building at this scale had never been built in New Zealand . The first time the design team proposed the idea to their engineer , Alistair Cattanach , he said it was impossible . However , the idea lingered in his mind , and he presented a solution a week later . Alistair ’ s proposal mimics how you would finger joint timber for furniture — only at a much larger scale . Two pieces of wood join together with six to eight 100mm fingers , and these interlocking elements are glued together . The bond is so strong that it basically creates one structural element out of two pieces of timber . Understanding how to engineer the joinery was the “ eureka !” moment that spurred the revolutionary construction technique applied throughout the timber structure .
The team thought they might get pushback from stakeholders wondering how wood could be a structurally sound material for a building of that scale . The only entirely wood buildings the team could point to as examples were tiny , single-family homes . Fortunately , Scion stakeholders are timber enthusiasts and scientists who understand the unique properties of wood . They knew that an innovative solution highlighting all-wood structures as the way of the future was necessary — and , more importantly , possible .
An elegant design cuts costly complexity
The wood structure ’ s lightweight footprint and repetitive design elements cut design time and construction costs . There are only six di . erent components for much of the wood structure . The shapes consisted of a diamond cut vertically , then in half , a diamond cut horizontally , and corner pieces . Each additional component can increase the cost of a building ; having only six is a novel concept for most designers .
The jigsaw design reduces manufacturing and construction waste because predictable shapes reduce leftover timber cuttings . With such simple building blocks , the team could purposefully specify all of the components beforehand . It also allowed for more accurate cost estimating as there was no need to factor in modifications or additional expenses .
Pliable modeling workflows
The team used SketchUp from the initial concept design through the preliminary design phase . The geometric modeling capabilities of the 3D software perfectly aligned with the repetitive timber components , facilitating rapid design iterations .
“ We use SketchUp because it ’ s quick and easy . We created groups and components , so changing one component could be easily reelected across the entire design .“
- Rich Naish , Design Director , RTA Studio
The architectural designers shared the model with the client and other consultants , like the engineering team . As the project advanced , Rich and the team used Revit in their workflow alongside SketchUp , building two parallel models . Keeping the SketchUp model up to date was essential for project milestones that required presenting an easyto-understand model to stakeholders . While Revit models contain intricate details , SketchUp simplifies iterative design improvements and preparing compelling presentations .
The team loved using SketchUp models to show the building ’ s scale and appearance without having to model as many details as you would with other software programs . This simplicity allowed them to save time and not promise color schemes or other specifics they may need to change later . When the team wanted to show more realistic details like material and shadow for project milestones , they used Enscape .
In the past , RTA Studio would contract their renderings to a third-party consultant — an expensive and time-consuming process . RTA Studio now handles all graphics in-house thanks to interoperability between SketchUp and Enscape .
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