MAKING A PROTOTYPE

After our visit to Tree Station earlier in the week we acquired some Larch offcuts, we have used these offcuts to create a prototype for a knock together planter.

Using what we had learned from our previous explorations into joint making, taking into consideration time and simplicity of the joint our planter uses only knock together joints and simple slot cuts, making it easy to mass produce.

WORKSHOP, OUTPUT.

One of the studies conducted during the workshop afternoon included a simple slot joint, that when constructed with the correct tolerances made for a quick, easy and sturdy connection which could be expanded with the addition of more slotted timber.

With further discussion required to iron out some of the exact construction tolerances and technical details this connection could be mass produced and has the potential to work well for some of the larger elements of the landscape design such as planters.

WORKSHOP, PROTOTYPING JOINTS.

After undertaking some study of Japanese joinery techniques and knock down timber construction in the early afternoon and sketching out derivations of these based on our available timber, Masters and Undergraduate students headed to the workshops to prototype any promising connections from the research.

With the input of technical staff we constructed an array of joints, discussing the pros and cons as we worked through the process. We finished the day with six prototypes whose cases will be presented and feasibilities assessed by the group in tomorrow mornings session.

In addition to our focus of supporting and engaging residents at Victoria House through communication activities and presentations, Group AI have paid particular notice to the architectural skills that all students will benefit from in this process. These include:

Portfolio Skills:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Rhinoceros

Design Skills:
- Joinery Detailing
- Joinery Construction
- On Site Construction / Co-ordination

Presentation / Communication Skills:
- Presenting to the Public
- Liaising with Clients / Users
- Working as a Team

We will be working in Openshaw, an area two miles east of the city centre. The area is the 11th most deprived in the UK and struggles with many issues of poverty and deprivation due to de-industrialisation. However, our collaborator, Victoria House is doing great work to help with some of these issues: providing emergency accommodation for rough sleepers, helping those in poverty with financing and budgeting, and helping people to access education and training services.