01_Peter YAO

Week 1 studio: In the first studio, our group finished the COMPRESSION activity by having the highest tower in the class.

When we first constructed the groundsill, we found that the stiffness of the groundsill is the fundamental requirement which improves the stability of future building construction (compare pic 1 and pic 2). In order to construct the most bearing groundsill, we consumed the majority of materials and built the groundsill in the squared shape (pic 2).

Pic 1

Pic 2

As the height increasing, the shape of the body gradually changed from square to circular (pic 3). Since the lower part of the tower loaded the most of pressure due to the gravity, we used the largest surface of every piece of balsa wood so that such an accumulated structure can decentralize the whole tower’s pressure. We gradually reduced materials by leaving the gap between every 2 pieces of wood wide. In such way of constructing, we end up with the highest tower in the class (pic 4).

Pic 3

Pic 4

Indicating the load path:

On the process of construction

After deconstruction

While we were deconstructing our tower, the bottom of tower load the highest pressure which a bit hard to move the piece of wood. However, the pressure each piece of wood loads decreases as it reaches to the top of the tower.

Indeed, mass construction could generate a relatively stable building but it consumes the most of materials which is not material-efficient.

On the process of deconstruction