ashen
Architect:
HANNAH office
Year:
2020
Location:
Ithaca, New York, USA
By implementing high precision 3D scanning and robotic based fabrication technology, HANNAH transforms Emerald-Ash-Borer-infested “waste wood” into an abundantly available, affordable, and sustainable building material. From the ground up, digital design and fabrication technologies are intrinsic to the making of this architectural prototype, facilitating fundamentally new material methods, tectonic articulations, and forms of construction.
HANNAH’s Ashen project exemplifies New Wood Open Architecture through its innovative fabrication process that prioritizes the material efficiency of wood throughout the construction process. By using 3D scanning and robotic based milling technology, HANNAH was able to use raw lumber from Emerald-Ash-Borer-infested “waste wood”. This approach transformed an otherwise worthless supply of raw material into a unique, and sustainable wood cladding. The 3D printed concrete structure also significantly reduces the amount of wood material waste normally associated with concrete construction. By precisely placing layer upon layer of thickened concrete, this technology eliminates the wasteful tradition of single-use wood formwork. HANNAH’s Ashen project exemplifies New Wood Open Architecture through its innovative milling process and 3d printing concrete technology, that significantly increase the material efficiency of wood throughout the construction process.