Camping at Hooke Park
Architectural Association Hooke Park Campus, Dorset
2020–2021
Team: Jacopo Niccolò Silvestri, Georgina Bowman, Sirisha Munnangi, Weikun Xu, Zachary Mollica, Jean-Nicholas Dacwiw
The core focus of the project was to explore the relationship between the timber industry, forest ecology, and the common types of timber construction that these interactions give rise to. We envisioned a small cabin in which, instead of using the wood species and grades typically employed for such structures, we devised solutions based on everything that is normally overlooked when it comes to wood. This allowed us to use every part of the tree, pushing the limits of the material. The two core elements of the structure were created by interlocking larch logs, thereby anchoring and stabilizing the lightweight structural elements.
Our team personally handled every aspect of this project. We harvested and cut the necessary wood and then processed it into the required semi-finished products. Using wood from the local forest was one of our key objectives. In addition to the architectural aspect, creating a supply chain that was as closely tied to the project’s local area as possible was crucial to the success of this endeavor. An added benefit of this approach was that it significantly reduced construction costs. Every detail of the project, from design to assembly, was patiently overseen over the course of 16 months.
