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AHO WORKS STUDIES 2011-2012
Institute of Architecture
The Full-scale Prototype
University of Life Sciences (UMB). The student
participation continues, and as such, is an ex-
ample of a successful combination of qualified
research and tuition.
Open City, Valparaiso, Chile
|
Responding to
an invitation from the Faculty of Architecture
of the Catholic University of Valparaiso, the
studio
Scarcity and Creativity in Latidude 33
spent a large part of the spring semester 2012
in Valparaiso, Chile, under the supervision of
Michael Hensel and Christian Hermansen. The
objective was to build a series of full-scale struc-
tures designed during the initial phase of the
semester. Three projects were constructed: an
observation structure to view the wetlands and
bird reserve; a small accommodation for visi-
tors; and a service unit for cooking, dining, and
bird observation. All were set within the unique
pacific coastal landscape of the Open City.
Although these are relatively simple struc-
tures, they each highlight particular architec-
tural features. The membrane strucure has
been singled out for further development in a
new studio in the spring of 2013, and represents
another example of how qualified research and
tuition can be successfully combined.
Nested Catenaries
|
In connection with the
symposium organised by RCAT in the autumn
of 2010 highlighting the work of Eladio Dieste,
PhD FellowDefne Sunguroglu Hensel organised
and led a workshop dedicated to investigating
the drafting table. Using this as a starting point,
two simultaneous aims are pursued: the re-
search value, as well as the tutorial experience.
Modular Building
|
During the academic year
of 2011-2012, several substantial projects were
initiated at AHO using the full-scale prototype
as a main tool of design and representation.
Marius Nygaard’s studio
Small-scale Experi-
mental Buildings
represented a groundbreak-
ing effort. Aimed at providing an experience
of participating in a multidisciplinary project
team, the studio collaborated with engineer
students at the Oslo University College and
carpenter pupils of the Sogn Vocational School,
as well as professionals at SINTEF. The brief
was to design a new and sustainable propos-
al for a mobile modular unit, of the kind used
to lodge construction workers. The resulting
design was then to be built by the Sogn car-
penter pupils the following semester. The full-
scale prototype would provide an opportunity
for thorough tests and measurment with regard
to the various performative aspects of sustaina-
bility, structural composition, as well as archi-
tectural quality.
The structural system for the new module is
based on stiff wooden frames, held together by
long, self-boring screws. This radically reduces
the amount of visible steel in the joints, improving
the fire resistance of the structure. The project
now forms a basis for further research devel-
opment in collaboration with the Norwegian
