Misfit Oak – Building with Nature

In contrast to the present building industry that relies on standardised timber products, irregular wood parts often appear in traditional building types. In some cases, particularly shaped wood components are necessary for a specific type of building, as the root knees appear in Norwegian stave churches. In other cases, as in Danish tobacco barns, the construction type allows irregular parts to be incorporated instead of more straight members.

Incorporating irregular wood in architectural construction could have several positive impacts. A large part of the material is utilised, thereby reducing the amount of waste wood, which in many cases would be combusted for energy production and increasing CO2 sequestration in the building. Furthermore, by utilising irregular wood parts and a broader range of wood species, it is possible to encourage a more sustainable forestry industry with larger biodiversity.

Digital scanning and robotic manufacturing enable the handling of irregular materials in 3D modelling and the manufacturing process. The tree trunk will be used for making a prototype to illuminate the way towards exploiting the full potential of organically shaped round wood. It is the goal to demonstrate a harmonious integration of natural forms into contemporary construction, contributing to the creation of a new kind of architecture.

Research team: Jaakko Torvinen, Jakob Sieder Semlitsch, Jens Pedersen, Anders Kruse Aagaard, Niels Martin Larsen

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