Kicking Things Off

November 6, 2023

Welcome all to the first CLT Core House blog post! We are so excited to share everything we have been learning so far. It has been quite an adventure up until now. Let’s start from the beginning…

The 5th-Years taking a selfie in their first mock-up.

When our group of eight 5th-year students was briefed on the two new projects, we realized that things would be a little different. It was clear that the CLT Core House and Fabrication Pavilion projects would be more intertwined than most. They will help to inform each other as they develop.

Before our Rural Studio experience, architecture school seemed to be primarily a solo endeavor. It has been an invaluable experience to work as a team of eight as we navigated all the difficulties of trying to make an effective team. Throughout this process, we have been lucky enough to have had workshops with some truly inspiring architects and consultants who have advised and mentored us as we go.

A lecture with Joe Burns, Kiel Moe, and Jacob Mans.
A lecture with Joe Burns, Kiel Moe, and Jacob Mans
Tool safety with Steve.
Tool safety with Steve
A group photo from Cheryl and Ravi's code workshop.
Cheryl and Ravi’s code workshop
Group photo with Kim, Joe, Jake, Will, and Meg.
Workshop with Kim, Joe, Jake, Will, and Meg
Thomas Paterson's night-time demonstration of lighting effects.
Thomas Paterson’s nighttime demonstration of lighting effects
Peter Zacharia helps the 5th-years understand environmental design.
Peter Zacharia helps the 5th-years understand environmental design
Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg sketching with the 5th-Years.
Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg sketching with the 5th-years
Dan Wheeler and Frank Harmon's watercolor workshop.
Dan Wheeler and Frank Harmon’s watercolor workshop

It was exciting to be involved in both projects, but inevitably we had to split into teams.

Let’s meet the team!

5th-year polaroids

As a newly formed team, it feels great to be able to direct more of our attention toward one project. Our house is the first iteration of a new Rural Studio exploration and another addition to its research into mass timber applications. The cores of the house will contain the essential systems of a home such as a bathroom or kitchen. CLT (cross-laminated timber) walls will support the systems. Since the CLT is both the structure and the finish, we want to prefabricate these cores. Hopefully, prefabrication will provide some interesting benefits in reducing construction time, cost, and labor. The cores could also be the main structural support for the house while still providing an opportunity for easy maintenance of all the critical systems, like mechanical, electrical, and plumbing.

The 5th-years learn to cut CLT.
A CLT close-up.
Presentation of the core mock-up schemes.
Working on the core mock-up.
The completed core mock-up.

Our team feels so lucky to work on this challenging project; the opportunities seem endless. Since its beginning, Rural Studio has invested its time and energy toward understanding what housing in a rural condition can be. Our team hopes to continue that legacy.

Serious business aside, we all feel that it has been an absolute joy to work out here. The program is intense and fast-paced. That’s part of the privilege of being here. We intend to take advantage of that opportunity and have as much fun as we can while doing it!

Thank you all for starting this journey with us and supporting us along the way. Stay tuned for our future posts! We look forward to keeping you updated.

Core house team group photo.