TIMBER | GROWING SUSTAINABLY

Fritha Hobbs
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Cross Laminated Timber Manufacture This scheme fuses commercial material production with an open learning environment. The program caters to full scale Cross Laminated and Laminated Veneer Timber manufacturing with space for the public and research groups to actively participate in the development of the products. The building sits on the corner of Durham Street and Moorhouse Avenue in Christchurch, on an empty site. It falls within the industrial zone running east to west through the south of the citys outskirts, and takes advantage of exposure from the two main roads forming the north eastern corner. At just over 10,000sqm the building offers a large space for CLT and LVL processing. This takes up the majority of the ground floor, while an exhibition space, cafe, seminar room and offices hover above. I developed a material investigation into the micro and macro structural composition and function of wood cells. Nutrient circulation and cell transformation helped to develop a spatial language, and informed the buildings circulation.
Durham street

FUTURE CHRISTCHURCH
COURSE THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND ADVISORS

V2

1st Semester 2012 Advanced Design 1 School of Architecture and Planning Camia Young & Jordon Saunders

Manchester St

Columbo St

Barbados St

Madras St

ENTRANCE ON CORNER OF DURHAM STREET & MOORHOUSE AVENUE

The built form effectively allows for parallel movements of both manufacturing and a learning environment, visually connected but with respect for the functional demands of each program.
Moorhouse avenue

9540sqm

exposed to two main roads, the entrance to the building lays open to visitors and allows passers by a glimpse into the factory below and exhibition space above

STREET FRONTAGE SITE PLAN north 500m

DESIGN CONCEPT

LOOKING OVER DURHAM STREET OVERPASS

HOW AND WHEN DOES A CELL GO THROUGH TRANSFORMATION?

cell transformation: initial growth of cell cell shape influenced by factors at time of growth

cell transformation : external force such as: wound, insects, fungus, bacteria, fire, weathering, climate

life span of wood cell transformation: initial growth of cell cell transformation : external force cell has structural function cell has nutrient transportation function

cell transformation: initial growth of cell cell shape influenced by factors at time of growth

cell transformation : external force such as: wound, insects, fungus, bacteria, fire, weathering, climate

death of cell [structure remains]

deterioration of wood

LONGITUDINAL SECTION (A)

1:100

CONCEPT SKETCHES

CIRCULATION DIAGRAMS

TRACHEID / FIBRE
water level influence on growth

FUNGAL ATTACK TYPE 1 walls break down cells enlarge / join

visitor

office - manufacture

section B

3D PRINTED MODELS OF WOODS CELLULAR STRUCTURE

small tracheid / fibre thick walls large tracheid / fibre thin walls

FUNGAL ATTACK TYPE 2 walls disconnect cells contract

carpark - office

small goods delivery/pick up

VESSEL
water level influence on growth

PLANS FUNGAL ATTACK TYPE 3 walls break down cells disfigured cells dematerialise
carpark - manufacture large goods delivery/pick up 1:500

section A

north

north

radial transport via rays

vertical transport via tracheids and vessels

diffuse transport via cell membranes

BUILDING SYSTEMS

MEANS OF NUTRIENT TRANSPORTATION IN LIVING WOOD

small vessel / canal

large vessel / canal

EXTREME CLIMATE walls warp and split cells enlarge/shrink

Yokohama port terminal FOA Architects

MOTAT aviation display hall studio pacific architects

horizontal electrical servicing at roof, servicing open plan factory floor two service cores located where bathrooms are located, from roof to floor

SERVICES

MOVEMENT OF NUTRIENTS THROUGH A TREE

Macro And Micro Scale

TRANSVERSE SECTION (B)

1:100

DESIGN INVESTIGATION
SHED MASSING STUDIES storage Receive timber, group and store
9540sqm total site area 14650sqm total program area

This layout is appropriate for long-spanning glulam portal frames. The ridges are oriented in a way that daylighting can come in predominantly on the buildings southern side. smooth poured concrete glulam portal frames spanning 35m at 10m spacing lvl purlins LVL box beam cross bracing

EXTERNAL SHED FORM

SHED STRUCTURE

CLT factory processing

CROSS - LAMINATED TIMBER

manufacture offices loading bay Cut timber to lengths EXTERIOR COLUMN - FLOOR CONNECTION
1:20

INTERIOR CURVED GLULAM BEAM - COLUMN CONNECTION

1:20

There is currently only one factory producing CLT in the whole of Australasia, situated in Nelson, New Zealand. CLT is an engineered wood made mostly from softwoods which are fast-growing and are weaker solid timbers. The lamination process strengthens the wood immensely. It can be used as a structural system in itself, or in conjunction with other systems. The material promotes building structures with large quantities of low-grade timber, sequestering huge amounts of CO2. All panels are manufactured in factory conditions to accurate dimensions ready for installation. This reduces time, costs and emissions related to lengthy on-site construction. CLT performs very well under seismic loading.

LVL beams roof members

Apply adhesive manufacturer visitor

glulam beams/columns

CLT manufacture loading bay storage lobby/circulation workshop/laboratory exhibition seminar/training parking offices cafe/bookshop

exhibition

workshop / laboratory

seminar / training

Lay up panels

PROGRAM
ground floor

PROGRAM
first floor

roof, walls - CLT panels covered with corrugated plastic; glass curtain wall with timber mullions floor - smooth poured concrete

SHED CLADDING

curtain wall with timber mullions

lobby / circulation

Press panels

cafe / bookshop 11200sqm 3450sqm parking Cut and shape panels

corrugated plastic sheets

manufacture program total

visit program total

glulam curved beams supported at 7m spacing by glulam columns

CELLS STRUCTURE

14650sqm
program total

Package and send

PRODUCT MOVEMENT FLOW

plan view

PRODUCT MOVEMENT FLOW

section view

MATERIAL RESEARCH
11.3% Northland 11.3% Northland 3.2% Auckland 3.2% Auckland

32

TAbLES AND gRAPHS

cross laminated timber

VIEW OF FACTORY FLOOR LOOKING INTO SEMINAR/TRAINING ROOM

CELLS CLADDING
CLT panels

30.3% Central North Island 30.3% Central North Island

8.9% 8.9%East Coast East Coast

7.4% Hawkes Bay 7.4% Hawkes Bay

9.5% Southern North Island 9.5% Southern North Island

9.5% Nelson/Marlborough 9.5% Nelson/Marlborough

100 80 60 40 20

1.8% West Coast 1.8% West Coast

6.2% Canterbury 6.2% Canterbury
roads main roads railways railways forests native forests planted forests planted forests main wood processing plants processing plants New Zealand 1,751,000 ha plantation forests 6,500,000 ha native forests Canterbury Region 113,903 ha plantation forests 264,000 ha native forests

0 1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

new forest plantation 1920-2011

11.9%Otago 11.9% Otago/Southland

FOREST COMPOSITION WOOD PRODUCTION AND USE

MANAGED TIMBER PLANTATIONS NEW ZEALAND

FOREST COMPOSITION NEW ZEALAND

FORESTS AND WOOD PROCESSING CANTERBURY

sapwood

sapwood

SAPWOOD - living cells only found in sapwood - inner region serves to transport water up and down the tree - often lighter in colour earlywood one year

heartwood
heartwood

- predominantly from conifers and evergreen trees - seeds uncovered - non porous structure - simple cell -ranges in density and not necessarily softer than hardwood

SOFTWOOD

HARDWOOD

- predominantly from broad-leafed and deciduous trees - see

HEARTWOOD - all cells in heartwood are dead - often darker in colour than sapwood - often highly decay or insect resistent - may be difficult to penetrate with liquids - may be difficult to dry - no strength difference between heartwood and sapwood in almost all species

latewood

- more complexity and variety in cell structure

ds within a ripening fruit porous structure

SOFTWOOD AND HARDWOOD

COMPOSITION OF GROWTH RINGS

LOOKING FROM EXHIBITION SPACE ACROSS FACTORY FLOOR AND INTO OFFICES