3DPA 23/24 Construction

Lightness

After having – conceptually – travelled to the tropical environment of Tanzania, then to the hot climate of Texas, we are back to our cherished mediterranean latitudes where this year’s research will crystallise into the design and construction of a full scale prototype, printed with local soil in Valldaura at the heart of the natural park of the Collserola. 

After confronting the research into lightness and porosity in these different contexts and performances, the challenge of the 3dPA Winter Prototype is to create an extension of TOVA by adding a new intervention on its side. This space has a dual purpose: it is a living space, a fragment of a house which considers the adjacency to TOVA, as an extension of the same house. And it also acts as a workshop space, an upgrade to our 3dPA Valldaura’s onsite facilities, which will most likely become the woodworking shop. Under the theme of “lightness”, the general ambition and requirement of this space is to make it large, aerial, light and  welcoming. It doesn’t need to be fully enclosed, but needs to be protected from rain, and will therefore be covered by a timber roof. 

Design to Production and Construction

Phase 3 is split into two successive exercises: Design to Production (2 weeks) and Construction (8 weeks). During DP, you will work in groups in order to design and produce all necessary information as to start the collective Construction of the prototype onsite on the first day after the winter break. The conclusion of the construction phase does not only include the completion of the prototype building, but also its documentation, the submission of an AsBuilt (update of DP) project and the preparation for the program finals. 

In addition, during the Construction phase you will be asked to make a 1:20 model of your Vision projects. In order to complete, you will need to adapt your 3d models to a printable solution on that scale, make a simple roof structure with timber elements and print your walls using the earth extruder on the small robots. This exercise will run in January and February, in parallel to the Construction, its timetable will need to be integrated in the prototype construction calendar.

Design guidelines

The design of the winter prototype should include the following considerations

1. Programme: house and workshop
   Design a 3d printed prototype proposal that could both be used as a house and workshop.
   Despite the fact that the printing of an entire house isn’t possible for time, material  and economical constraints, the program’s focus remains housing, the design you provide should therefore be catering for living functions even though it will not be used as such. The limited time we have means that you will not be able to design an entire house, however it could be a part of it. Valldaura has hosted 3dPA for 3 years and our forest campus has become known worldwide in the community of earth 3d printing. Tova, designed as a living space, is mainly used as a storage space but could also be considered as a working space during printing periods. This year’s prototype is an effort to improve 3dPA’s outdoor laboratory and you are asked to focus on woodworking needs.
2. A semi outdoor space – unfold Tova.
   After demonstrating the enclosing of a space with TOVA and its climatic behaviour, this year’s prototype’s aim is to grow in the longitudinal direction in order to increase its impact but also to give protagonism to one wall. The printing time available would not enable the enclosure of a larger space than TOVA.  
3. Roof structure
   The roof structure is a timber balloon frame assembly that will be detailed and built during the program. It consists of one longitudinal truss resting on the longitudinal wall and a series of 1m spaced secondary truss spanning to an aligned series of columns. The roof structure is stable in itself meaning that its deformations are  limited hence applying a minimum of lateral loads on the earth walls. The main efforts the roof transcribes to the walls are vertical (both gravity and uplift due to wind loads).
   The structural system of the roof is a given, but it can be re-dimensioned according to design decisions. 
4. Central Axis
   From a design perspective, one of the key decisions is the position and direction of the longitudinal axis of your design, the one that both the long wall and roof truss will follow. The decision process for this axis needs to consider most of the considerations listed in this chapter of the syllabus. This work will be the subject of your first catalogue. 
5. Print length
   The total print length is a value that you will calculate during the first day of this DtoP phase. Rich of the 3dPA experience of Tova and the one who acquired during the Kibaha Prototype, and knowing the total print time we will have available in January and February, you will calculate the amount of walls to be printed during the Construction. Rather than landing on a definitive number, you will be asked to define an optimistic and a pessimistic number. 
6. Fragmenting
   As we know, long walls are problematic for shrinkage, for layer to layer drying as well as for risk taking (long wall collapsing is more problematic than one of two short walls), you are therefore encouraged to fragment your printing length into short structural walls (2-4m).
   Your design should work both in the best and worst print length case scenario (defined in point 5), this means you might need to design walls that might not be printed, the project and more specifically the roof structure, should still work. In your drawings, you are encouraged to label walls that will be last to print (the ones that might not be printed at all). 
7. Printing radius
   You are asked to consider the printing radius. If your proposal unfolds between two radiuses, this implies moving of the crane, you will need to make sure that the printing time will be equally reparted between the two radiuses to ensure a two phase printing calendar. 
8. Collision and printing sequence
   Several solids onsite might collide with your printing strategy, you do need to consider this in your design. 
9. Integrate TOVA
   The design must provide a response to the neighbouring Tova and integrate it as to set up spaces shared by the two buildings. Tova could need to be integrated in your program proposal, both in the house and in the workshop consideration. 
10. Integrate Kibaha
    The Kibaha Wall needs to be integrated in the design in the following possible aspects: avoid it being an obstacle in your printing scheme, play a role in your spatial layout, play a role in your structural strategy. 
11. Climate
    Climate, especially the sun path should be considered in the design. You are asked to provide a performance map as part of the deliverable. 
12. Units and organisation
    The organisation of your wall layout should follow the structural grid.
13. Foundations
    The foundation system for the walls is the traditional 1mx1m gabion recycled stone cage.
    Wall should be aligned to the foundation axis line, start and end in their centres. 
14. Further prints
    Successful design solutions are ones that do not condemn the future use of printing radiuses. 
15. Porosity
    Last, but one of the most important: define a strategy of porosity that binds together the relationship to Tova, to the rest of the context and to both your prototype function as a house and a workshop. 

Learning Objectives

At course completion the student will:

1. Design a one to one prototype that crystallises the learnings of Phase 1 & 2.
2. Define all constructive aspects and building details of the prototype.
3. Produce the documentation necessary for the  construction of a 1:1 prototype.
4. Work collectively on the detailed design of a one to one project.