The industrialization of unsophisticated
timber balloon and platform framing is a universal expression of a variable
building kit. Traditionally, standardized dimensional lumber was cut, adjusted
and nail joined on site by non-specialized labourers. Mass-produced steel pegs replaced
the complex joinery of traditional craftsmen making almost any shape and size
possible. Normalization of timber construction inspired experiments in
kit building by pre-cutting members and components to decrease site work and
increase building efficiencies. Whether assembled on or off site light timber
framing and construction has remained mostly unchanged for the better part of a
century and a half. Even panels and volumetric modular timber systems produced
in a factory setting largely employ comparable techniques to site intensive
platform framing.
Recent developments in digital
fabrication specifically CNC milling, already present in many factories and
democratized through architectural curriculum has begun to regenerate the idea
of adaptable timber kits. Informed by digital technology and the benefits of
precise cutting, the lost art of timber joinery is also reintegrating
framing. The Chilean practise of Abarca y Palma Arquitectos explores the
relations between prefabrication and traditional craftsmanship. The firm has
developed a DIY inspired timber modular kit frame onto which different service
and functional modules can be affixed to create multiple housing types. The
simple post and beam frame structures are assembled onsite and anchored to
point foundations. Industrialized SIP panels weatherproof the structure
and create different spatial typologies. The complete separation of structure
and envelope arranges a floating architectural space covered by a large canopy.
The insulated / ventilated roofscape between the climatic roof and
architectural space keeps the house cooler by protecting the interior from the
hot sun. Large overhangs protect the timber structure keeping it dry as
well as keeping water away from the perimeter avoiding the deterioration habitually
observed at the base of the foundations. Architectural space floats above the
ground keeping the spaces dry and protecting them from adjacent vegetation. A
prefabricated kit inspired by traditional carpentry interprets the floating
house archetype, which could be adapted to and anchored to any site but is
particularly suited to hot climates with a long rainy season.
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| Structural and SIP components diagram from the firm's website |
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