After a necessary but painstakingly slow fall semester working to frame the final rectangle of the pavilion and define the edges of both the roof and ceiling planes as accurately as possible, the Moundville Community Pavilion team is gearing up to hit the ground running with big, new changes. As Moundville’s newest residents, the team has shortened their commute time from an hour drive to approximately two minutes walking, and as of this weekend, has a brand new scaffolding platform to work on!
Now that the edge beams, ridge lines, and ceiling heights have been set using the batter boards, ground strings and scissor lift, the team has officially moved into the air. (Another shoutout to Sunbelt Rentals for their incredibly generous donation of a scissor lift that was instrumental in the structural framing of the project). To increase productivity and allow the team to work within the structure in multiple locations simultaneously, Crimson Insulation and Scaffold constructed an eleven foot high scaffolding platform. They were able to extend the scaffolding to cover the entire interior of the pavilion and five feet beyond the drip line, as well as provide “stair stepped” platforming below the high corners.
With the platform, the joists for both the roof and ceiling can be put up and reached with just twelve foot ladders. The team is beyond excited to be able to occupy the space in multiple places at one time to work twice as fast on a stable, safe surface.
Prior to receiving the platform, the team ran strings to outline the two roof and two ceiling planes to ensure the joists are set at the right height. From those outlining strings, additional strings were placed along the top of each truss face so blocking can be installed above the truss and the joists set at the proper height following a consistent slope. With an extensive network of strings setting joist heights, the team can begin to install roof joists and check the slope of the planes as they build.
During all the excitement of receiving scaffolding, the Studio also celebrated an important milestone with the arrival of Soup Roast! Guests from all over the world, including the legendary Steve Badanes and Rural Studio sweetheart Jake LaBarre, came to review new projects and celebrate progress of ongoing ones. A two-day event, Soup Roast was great to see the wide range of projects going on at Rural Studio while getting to talk to visiting alumni.
Saturday night was spent at the Faunsdale Bar and Grille celebrating one of the most influential people in Rural Studio history, Johnny Parker. After dinner, different staff, alumni, and close friends got to share stories of Johnny’s unique humor, unparalleled skill and craft, inappropriateness, bluntness, and overall heart of gold. Johnny was our steady guide on truss raising day and we couldn’t have survived it without him keeping us calm and reminding us to breathe because everything would work out. It was an evening of good laughs and a few tears, a perfect memorial for someone close in all our hearts.
