Project Abstract
The Pine Table is a four-and-a-half-long table made out of solid wood that was locally harvested in the Parc Natural de Collserola. The central concept of the table is that of the ‘Harvesting table’ where the products of farming come together to be enjoyed together. Another main driver that has steered the design decision is that of flexibility: to allow the use of the table for many activities such as workshops with many people, cooking, eating etc.
Dining table construction analysis
To understand the wood connections of a solid wood table, we looked at the dining table at Valldaura Labs. After measuring all wooden elements, a 3d model was made that gave us easy to understand insights into the construction methods that were used for this specific table.
One of the joins that we ended up using is the flat cleat that joints the tabletop planks in a dovetail joint (image below). This connection ensures the tabletop remains flat and negates some of the working of the wooden top planks. Secondary, it provides a way to connect the tabletop assembly to the lower structure fo the table.
Design concept: Raw logs
This concept keeps the wood processing to a minimum and emphasizes the natural characteristics of the material. Two central clusters of three logs each form the legs while maintaining the bark on the logs and keeping the edge of the table live with the used spray paint for traceability purposes.
Design concept: Harvest table
The central area of the table was the most important aspect of the design concepts for the Harvest Table: the location to place the fruits, vegetables and cooked foods. By elevation placed objects are grouped, and a subtractive central area makes the placed items more accessible. An elevated area puts the items on the table on a display, the design concept with dowels as wooden pegs which can be rearranged dynamically.
Fabrication preparation
To visualize the manipulations of the wood that would be needed to produce the table pieces, a chart was made of subtractive manipulations. This visualisation gave insight into the jigs that were needed to accomplish these manipulations.
