Two x Two

Featured on ArchDaily: "The Best Student Design-Build Projects Worldwide 2016"

Two x Two was a 77-student collaboration design-build project. Using the method of construction pioneered by SHoP's Dunescape, five different studios designed and built a public space project for the College of Design's atrium. (The project was later moved to Reiman Gardens.)

A short film I produced for the opening reception of the project. It documents the design and construction process of the project through a few interviews.

The project in the College of Design Atrium. Photo credit: Iowa State University

The project after it was moved to Reiman Gardens. Photo credit: Atalie Ruhnke

The project was divided into five individual sections, each designed by a separate studio. The section contributed by my studio was a combination of two ideas: One which was very angular with flat seating, and another that was a series of undulating waves. The end result was a series of waves cut off with flat plateaus.

These flat blue sections represent my contribution to the design. The waves on the left of this image were eventually cut to create a large flat area in the front of the project.

A design meeting where the five sections of the project were all joined together.

To build the project, we needed construction documents. 200 documents were produced and edited, each documenting a separate layer of the project. Every piece of wood for each layer was documented so they could be manufactured and then assembled.

I was responsible for creating a Grasshopper script that took a full 3D model of the project and isolated each individual layer for exporting. I was also responsible for a script that counted and measured each individual piece of wood in the model so that the appropriate amount of lumber could be ordered.

Wood pieces that belonged to the same layer were bundled together.

To make construction easier, layers assembled on their side in chunks and then attached together.

Front and back of one 11"x17" construction document.