laminations...

The second shipment of panels from Rieder has arrived. this means we will soon start to see the pavilion "noses" taking shape.

The "noses" are also where the structure is under the greatest stresses....in order for the material to take these stresses where the vertical load of the roof is being transferred to the horizontal deck, the ribs in these locations are triple laminated by bolting three sheets of 13mm Fibre-C sheets together.

The resulting slot is where the next profile will slide in and complete the laminated splice joint.

Gasket detail - Condition D

Throughout the pavilion we have 4 different joint conditions, and 8 gasket types. Each of the joint conditions is determined by the assembly logic required at that location. Each of the gasket types is determined by the angle of intersection.

At the first phase of ground level assembly, we only have Condition D - Ground global profile (concrete) to ground cross profile (concrete), which utilizes gasket type 8, which is a flat 80mm x 50mm x 17mm EPDM rubber pad.

Joints on the ground members have no need for the locking gaskets to keep the profiles in place because gravity will work just fine, with the weight of the entire structure sitting on these guys, no one is lifting them off.

So, as a means of reducing costs, we opted for flat rubber pads which are glued in place at each notch to take up the difference in the over-size notch to make it a tight fit notch, but retaining enough fexibility for construction tolerances and to compensate for the fact that the intersections are angled.

After these pads have been glued into place, then the primay ground profiles can be inserted into the cross profiles.

Here's a detail, and some photos.

CD or AD?

Here's a few sample sheets from our set of construction drawings. Unlike the typical 2D construction document set you would find on a conventional building site, our drawings relate more to an IKEA flat-pack assembly diagram, with 2D views identifying an array of individual pre-fabricated components, and a series of procedural 3D views detailing how to orient and assemble them.

There are three main categories for components, all of which are pre-fabricated and delivered to site:

1. Steel
2. Fibre-C
3. EPDM Rubber Gaskets (joints)

All drawings have been produced exclusively in Rhino 4's drawing layout functions, with some help from the Technical Drawing Plug-in.

Additionally, the 1:10 physical model has been taken down to the site, and is being used as a live "construction reference" during the assembly process.

how to build a pavillion in 9 easy steps...

Here is the lastest plan of attack for the on-site assembly of the pavilion, based in large part by what we learned from our failures with the plywood mock-up, and on the phased production schedule of the Fibre-C profiles which we have agreed with Rieder.

1. Cross Members of Floor deck are layed in place

2. Primary Deck, Bench, and Wall profiles inserted into deck.

3. Lower wall Cross Profiles inserted.

4. Plywood framed jig support erected

5. Primary Global profiles are lifted into place via crane and positioned on jig support.

6. Top Cross Profiles are placed, locking entire roof structure together, and splicing the roof to the walls.

7. Horizontal Bench Profiles are inserted

8. Bench Cross profiles are placed forming the horizontal surfaces of the bench and counter areas.

9. COMPLETION!!!

Sure looks easy...doesn't it? We've still got a lot to figure out, but the wheels are in motion...as always, more to come...

joint details

We've made some progress on the joint detials over the last week. The two models we were looking at use silicone gaskets to provide a cushion between the interlocking profiles and here are the two mock-ups back from the RP lab. Thanks to Jeroen for all his help.

After a design team meeting, we've decided to go with the second option because it can deal with a variation in angles in two planes; it acts as a rotational stiffener once in place, and it will provide a locking resistance against vertical shear.

The assembly process has been reduced to a minimum - a pair of gaskets will be bonded to the notches on the primary concrete profile in advance. On site, the cross profile will be inserted and then the remaining pair of gaskets can be mechanically fixed with one pin each to lock the joint together.

more joint options

"God is in the Details"

"God is in the Details." - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Now I'm not religious, and I honestly don't know if Mies was or not. However, these words from the modernist master architect remind us that the purity and perfection of a design, lie in the beauty and elegance of it's details.

Here's a look at our first set of details from the competition stage. Not quite "God-ly", but we're working on them. The basic premise is that the entire pavilion is to be assembled by hand, with no mechanical fixings or connections. All joints are basic notch joints which slot into one another and are held together by flexing the sections into place. Neoprene gaskets are fitted in at each joint to compensate for tolerances and to help with friction.