Barndage by Stephan Wimmer

BARNDAGE ABSAM

AUSTRIA

2017

„BARNDAGE“ Absam - Austria Stephan Wimmer - 2017 stephan@columbosnext.com supported by: Start-Stipendium - Architektur & Design

columbosnext

CONTENT CONCEPT 5 Idea & inspiration Site

DESIGN 6 Physical model

CONSTRUCTION 8 BARNDAGE 13 A raw, unintentional space

Masterthesis: Filter & Link - Urban Cultural Landscape Beirut Physical Model (1:200) built of 250g paper

columbosnext: „Duffy Duck“ with Lino Lanzmaier (Design) Judith Widauer, Andreas Zißler & Fabian Lanzmaier. Materialized in a patchwork of cellulose sheets on wood slats. PMK Innsbruck - Austria - 2016

CONCEPT The aim of this experiment is to build complex, functionally undefined spaces, on a budget. Replacing expensive substructures through ropes and using a bendable standard material as a skin, instead of custom cast panels is one of the main goals. The construction of 1:1 prototypes is the next step following a series of physical models as part of my master thesis in 2013 and an installation (with columbosnext) made of cellulose sheets in 2016. The double curved surfaces result from an addition of single curved sheets. A Network of ropes creates the primary structure which gets covered with an overlapping patchwork of bent plywood sheets. In this raw space, it‘s up to the users to explore, find and define their own use of this unintentional space. There won‘t be any progress without appreciating what others already accomplished. This project is inspired by the works of artists, designers and architects like “Winnipeg Skating Sculptures“ by Patkau Architects, “Moving Space“ by Institut für Konstruktion und Gestaltung, “Transarquitetônica“ by Henrique Oliveira, “Bent“ by Fabrication Robotics Network, Numen‘s tape installations, Frei Otto‘s lightweight constructions and Sou Fujimoto‘s concept of “cave vs. nest“, to name just few of them.

Masterthesis: Filter & Link - Urban Cultural Landscape Beirut Working Model (1:50) built of 250g paper and strings

SITE

Dimensions: 7,7 x 9,3 meters The project is located in a 100-year old barn, which is being used as living space and kitchen during the warm months of the year (still at the end of October). The space is directly connected to an even older farm house, inhabited by Johannes & Mamal. Luckily Johannes, the owner of the farm without land (and friend of mine) got excited about the idea. The house, its inhabitants and neighbors definitely create an enjoyable and inspiring atmosphere. One of the biggest doubts we had was if the old, underdimensioned barn was gonna be strong enough.

7 The Barn - photo: Johannes MĂźnsch

DESIGN After sending an application, the “Austrian Ministry for Arts and Culture“ decided to support the project with a 7.800€ “start-scholarship“ that they give away to 10 young architects/designers every year. Working on a physical model out of strings and paper has the advantage of only allowing a type of geometry, that matches the possibilities of plywood and ropes in a more direct way than digital models do. Creating an accessible space, without turning the left over space into something unattractive and finding the right balance between structural- and spatial optimization were the main design challenges. A material test on a 1:1 scale was necessary to figure out some of the details before starting the main project. Replacing custom form work, milled foam, concrete or other composites by using ropes and keeping the layers of the skin detachable avoids unnecessary trash when it‘s days are over.

photos: Nicolas Hafele

CONSTRUC TION INGREDIENTS:

~ 50 anchor points ~ 400 meters of 8mm PP rope, ~ 140mÂ˛ of 4mm birch-plywood ~ 1500+ screws ~ 320 hours of work re-used wood for the substructure

Setting up the 50 anchor points and ropes took our DIY construction team, consisting of architects and a biologist, about a week only using simple tools and the physical model as an instruction. The structural concept consists of a frame, (Barn) holding a spatial net structure of ropes, creating quads with an average size of around 50/50cm. Those fields were covered with a substructure of 4/4cm wood slats, changing their direction depending on the curvature, allowing the skin to be attached. At this point of time in the construction process, the whole structure was still soft and unstable to walk on it.

photos: Nicolas Hafele

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.â&#x20AC;? Stephen McCranie

Since plywood only bends in one direction we developed a feeling for how to turn, bend and place the the plywood sheets in a way that matches the shape and material properties in the best possible way. The structure evolved from being really shaky and unstable towards an acceptable stiffness when enough layers were connected to each other, distributing the weight on multiple ropes. The plywood segments overlap in areas of the geometry with the least curvature.

photos: Julian Wimmer

BARNDAGE A raw, unintentional space, requiring the user to create their definition through use.

photo: Nicolas Hafele

17 photo: Nicolas Hafele

photo: Matthias Trobos

photo: Johannes MĂźnsch

photo: Nicolas Hafele

photos: Nicolas Hafele

27 < photo: Christina Netzer

ROP ES TR AN SC SP OR RE TA W TIO S et N c.

E P R OTOT Y P

PH OT OS

W P LY

D E S IG N C T IO N CO N S T R U D U C T IO N POST PRO

PROJEC T BUDGET 7800 â&#x201A;¬

AL RN TE UR EX BO LA

THANKS TO: the Austrian governement for giving me this great opportunity! Julian, Lino, Martina, Hanne, Jakob, columbosnext, Conrad, Nicolas, Chrissy, Matthias, Gabor, Phil and everyone I forgot to mention.

photo: ÂŠ Nicolas Hafele