A Finnish experimentation project has made cross-laminated timber construction more productive and creative by using digital modeling.<\/p>\n The office of &\u2019 [Emmi Keskisarja & Janne Ter\u00e4svirta & Company Architects Ltd]<\/a> looks rather like a prototype workshop. Intriguing scale models, a 3D printer, and a small CNC machine all give clues about the architects\u2019 current project. They\u2019re determined to make wood construction more collaborative and creative using digital technologies and cross-laminated timber (CLT).<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to present our KIRA-digi project<\/a> at WDBE 2018<\/a>\u00a0in September, during Helsinki Design Week. The theme of the week is trust<\/em>, something that\u2019s missing in today\u2019s construction,\u201d says Keskisarja. \u201cOur wooden installation will be on public display in the city next spring. We want to communicate with the public, not just within our professional circles, as architects typically do.\u201d<\/p>\n Keskisarja and Ter\u00e4svirta realized that the entire construction process is flawed. Sub-optimization, isolated participants, and short-term thinking dominate. There\u2019s very little emphasis on collaborative concept development and creativity at the early stages of a project.<\/p>\n In building production, we fall back to the same standard solutions. Digital design processes have failed to improve the practice as much as they could have. \u201cCollision detection\u201d is a BIM term that aptly describes the current process, with its focus on errors rather than collaboration.<\/p>\n The architects decided to start re-thinking the construction process. They chose wooden construction as a case study for their experimentation. Keskisarja had previous experience in digitalizing timber design and manufacturing. She\u2019s working on her PhD on how to improve design using system theory. Ter\u00e4svirta has a history of world-renowned projects as a founding partner of ALA Architects. He also appreciates wood as a building material.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to study how things could be done better,\u201d says Ter\u00e4svirta. \u201cWood construction is gaining popularity in Finland, but it is done unimaginatively. You could argue that we build concrete buildings of wood.\u201d<\/p>\n Before starting the KIRA-digi project, the architects had already collaborated with three master cabinetmakers: Tommi Alatalo, Antrei Hartikainen, and Heikki Paso. They realized that cabinetmakers use the same design software as they do, only on small-scale woodwork. In the experimentation, they scale up the joiners\u2019 details to building frames and cross-laminated timber. That opens new architectural and structural possibilities.<\/p>\n The prototypes that Keskisarja and Ter\u00e4svirta are working on are far from what you\u2019d expect from a typical wood construction. The cone-shaped, organic-looking prototypes showcase the possibilities of modern CNC milling used in a building scale.<\/p>\n Finnish cross-laminated timber mills have expensive five-axis CNC machines that can fashion almost any imaginable joint at millimeter precision. However, they mostly use their fine machines to carry out bulk work, and charge by the cubic meter. The prototypes that Keskisarja and Ter\u00e4svirta have designed explore the possibilities of CLT in a far more elaborate way.<\/p>\n \u201cUsing digital tools, architects can regain their role as a master designer, taking responsibility for tasks that are now in no man\u2019s land. We can now be more than form-givers and functional designers; we can plan and optimize the production process,\u201d Keskisarja envisions. \u201cCollaborating with the manufacturers and contractors, we can start creating healthy, sustainable, and more affordable buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n The prevailing construction technology has led to technically complex buildings that don\u2019t always function as expected. Mass timber structures are simple, flexible, and easy to understand.<\/p>\n Keskisarja and Ter\u00e4svirta don\u2019t want to use the new process and technologies for one-off projects. Digital technologies and robotics enable mass customization of any type of project, be it, for example, an apartment house, a single home, or a school. Timber is not the only choice, either. It\u2019s great for structural uses, but facades can be made of glass or other weather-resistant materials. Hybrid solutions combine the best features of materials optimally.<\/p>\n The KIRA-digi experimentation heralds a new industrial process devised with systems theory, digital information flow, and CLT\/CNC technologies.<\/p>\n The project will deliver digital and physical prototypes and process models. The results will be publicly available for every interested party to study and use in their business. The existing design and manufacturing software is sufficient for the improved process, the architects believe. Their firm will use and further develop the results in their architectural practice.<\/p>\n Ter\u00e4svirta sees a change of thinking emerging in the construction industry: \u201cWe have discussed our ideas with many professionals, including contractors, and received very positive feedback. We\u2019re living exciting times in our industry. There\u2019s definitely momentum for change.\u201d<\/p>\n Photos: SWANG<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nPlenty of Room for Improvement<\/h2>\n
![\"emmi](\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/eetj-profile.jpg\")
<\/p>\nResearch and Practice Coming Together<\/h2>\n
From Prototypes to Managing Design and Production<\/h2>\n
Results Everyone Can Benefit From<\/h2>\n