Wood: Structure and Expression Erasmus Project

Project Title

Wood: Structure and Expression

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

The strategic partnership „WOOD: Structure and Expression” is directed and coordinated by the University of Liechtenstein, Prof. Urs Meister and Dr. Carmen Rist-Stadelmann. The aim of the partnership is to establish an intensive cultural and social exchange between the participating students and teachers of the three partner Universities, the Academie van Bouwkunst in Amsterdam, the NTNU in Trondheim, and the University of Liechtenstein, and the two wood building companies concerning the subject of developing an experimental and manual timber work, made for industrial manufacturing. The project „WOOD: Structure and Expression” fosters an interdisciplinary approach that enriches the focus on architectonic and constructive notions with cultural, social and economic issues that promote the discussion on structural and material aspects within the European building tradition.

Apart of the current discussion about sufficiency and grey energy in the use of wood, the tectonic properties of the massive material and its immanent suitability for rod shaped elements is of our main interest. The joining of the single members of a structure obtains an enormous significance. Today, due to modern manufacturing processes, wooden joints can be fabricated that were not possible in the traditional ways of joining wood with manual labour in former days. In looking for new ways of using wood in the manufacturing process, we will research on existing traditions in craftmanship as well as on technical aspects. In that sense, we learn from wood and try to draw a lesson for the future. Against the background of the climate change and the current need for resource efficient building, these fields of research allow defining the use of the material wood in an innovative way and to meet the targets of the strategy 2020 of the European Commission.

The programme will last three years with a repeating structure of research, colloquiums and workshops. In the participating Universities, existing teaching modules are combined with new elements that create a whole new environment. In education, design studio are supplemented with the joint workshop that is dedicated to prototyping in scale 1:1. In research, a parallel topic is explored and documented on the homepage. During the whole project, results of the design studios, workshops and excursions are linked in an final symposium and gathered in a publication. This allows to call international attention towards our building culture which is of utmost importance in teaching architecture, for the wood building industry as well as in politics.

The program is open for twelve to fourteen Bachelor- or Master students per Partner University per year. Knowledge of the general background, a thematic focus on the content in the previous studies, the amount of study semesters, language skills as well as the attendance of the design studios and courses in the respective University are requirements for the participation in the programme.

All products resulting from the design studios, research activities, workshops, colloquies, excursions and symposia are gathered in a publications and documented on the homepage. These sources serve as a unique library of knowledge for a general public as well as students, teachers and professionals in the realm of architecture. This will enrich the professional discourse about the use of the material wood and its importance in buildings in a technical, cultural and social context and will therefore be of enormous interest for the development of the building culture within the European community.

Project Website

https://www.uni.li/de/thema/architektur/hands-on/wood

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 442562,73 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT LIECHTENSTEIN & Country: LI

Project Partners

• Frommelt Zimmerei und Ing. Holzbau AG
• Bouwbedrijf Van Engen B.V.
• NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU
• STICHTING AMSTERDAMSE HOGESCHOOL VOOR DE KUNSTEN