“Thinnings,” or small-diameter timbers that are removed from a stand during sustainable foresting practice, was a multi-year material research project for Rural Studio. The material, which has little commercial value outside of use as pulpwood, is abundant in Alabama.
Restrooms made of “thinnings” for a campground in the Talladega National Forest
BATHROOM WITH A VIEW
The 2009-2010 student team designed restroom and toilet enclosures out of the thinning material to create a bathhouse facility in a Talladega National Forest campground. Both structure and cladding are made out of thinnings. Reflecting the low-impact ethic of the project, the restrooms incorporate composting toilets, while the shower and sink water are filtered through a system of constructed wetland beds. Each of the three toilets and two showers are located in their own lattice truss tower, with a view to a special element in the forest.
The 2009-2010 student team designed restroom and toilet enclosures out of the thinning material to create a bathhouse facility in a Talladega National Forest campground. Both structure and cladding are made out of thinnings. Reflecting the low-impact ethic of the project, the restrooms incorporate composting toilets, while the shower and sink water are filtered through a system of constructed wetland beds. Each of the three toilets and two showers are located in their own lattice truss tower, with a view to a special element in the forest.
