Howdy from the Moundville Pavilion team! Recently, we were on a nonstop train ride as our final official semester of college came to a close with Pig Roast festivities, Executive Reviews, and graduation. And soon, construction will begin! Woohoo!
Pig Roast
Presenting our boards at Pig Roast on the site behind the pavilion
Rural Studio’s Annual Pig Roast was a hit! The team presented the final design to friends, family, and alumni. Thank you to all who came out and celebrated with us and a very special shout-out to Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg for speaking at our Pig Roast graduation ceremony.
Posing in our “I love Rural” Pig Roast shirts
Section drawings explaining the pavilion’s relationship to the surrounding campgrounds We celebrated big at the annual Pig Roast Valediction Ceremony
Executive Review Part 2
Following Pig Roast, the team had their final Executive Review with Justin Miller, Rusty Smith, David Hinson, Emily McGlohn, and Judith Seaman. The reviewers provided much-needed feedback to help move the project forward as we prepare for construction.
Discussing the details of the pavilion roof and ceilingExplaining the proposed process of construction
Moving Forward
In addition to all the celebration and reviews, the team has been meeting with the Studio’s structural engineer, Joe Farruggia, to finalize the column design, and Bill Zahner, of Zahner Architectural Metals, for some advice on aluminum panel systems that are appropriate for our ceiling and roof.
Discussing lighting strategiesZoom meeting with metal experts at ZahnerClient meeting
The Thermal Mass and Buoyancy Ventilation Research Project (TMBV) graduate students have concluded their work and time in Newbern, AL. In their wake, they leave a published, peer-reviewed paper and two research-ready buildings.
In the course of their graduate year, the TMBV project dove deep into the results of their initial small-scale experiments, culminating in a research paper published in the Journal of Physics: Conference Series as a part of the 2021 CISBAT Hybrid Scientific Conference. At the same time, the team designed and constructed two Test Buildings. The cooling and ventilation effects spurred by the optimized thermal mass will be studied throughout the next year, providing ground truth data for the system at a building scale.
The paper: A synopsis
The open-access research paper entitled, “Synchronized coupling of thermal mass and buoyancy ventilation: wood versus concrete” was published in November 2020 in the Journal of Physics Conference: Series. This was an effort involving the entire TMBV research team including Salmaan Craig, Remy Fortin, Sebastien Asselin, Kiel Moe, David Kennedy, and Andrew Freear. The paper describes small-scale experiments that test the accuracy of sizing parameters which suggest how to optimize the coupling of an internal thermal mass—which allows a building to store heat and thereby avoid major temperature fluctuations—with natural ventilation cycles, regardless of the material or the scale of the building. The results suggest the sizing parameters may be valid for early-stage design. They also show that biomaterials, such as wood, can perform as well as conventional thermal mass materials, such as concrete.
Why is this important? Typical, mechanical thermal comfort systems pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, raising the temperature even more. They also cannot perform in power outages during weather events caused by the ongoing climate crisis. Therefore, using regenerative materials, such as wood, to mitigate rising temperatures without reliance on the power grid suggests sustainable thermal comfort with less burden on the environment. That is an ongoing aim of the TMBV Research Project, and these initial results are an encouraging step. Before such lofty goals can be reached, the TMBV Test Buildings will provide more insight into the capabilities of the system.
The buildings: A summary
As stated above, the TMBV Test Buildings examine the coupling of thermal mass and buoyancy ventilation as a reliable thermal comfort system at the building scale. Currently, the buildings are set up for these first large-scale experiments and will later be fitted out for housing. The buildings are designed to be flexible spaces for ongoing experiments as well as dwellings for 3rd-year students. Therefore, the buildings balance valid experimental conditions, the realities of construction, and the basic needs of college students. One Test Building is powered by a plywood internal thermal mass and the other by concrete. Both buildings are designed to achieve the same performance parameters for temperature dampening and ventilation rate despite their material differences—i.e., the surface area and thickness of the material.
The buildings are the first Rural Studio buildings constructed primarily out of Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs). Towering over the Supershed on Morrisette Campus they hover 8′ off the ground. Underneath the buildings is a gathering space nicknamed the “Cooling Porch.” During the day it is meant to collect cool air flowing out of the buildings, providing a place to enjoy the systems en masse. Air travels here through the extended chimneys, which increase ventilation speed and denote the building’s function.
With such tight buildings, dependent on accuracy, the team showed out on all the details. From three-week welding sessions to mapping out patterns of old sidewalk scrap to calculating the discharge coefficient of rooftop vent caps, this team investigated every inch. Feel free to peruse the TMBV blog to see the process, but for now here are the results.
The mirrored buildings are connected to each other and the ground via a steel walkway and ship’s ladder.The team obsessed over every detail from the spacing of the ventilated open-joint cladding system to the fit of the steel door frame.The plywood Test Building is fitted from floor to ceiling in Southern Yellow Pine.The team made more than 70 1-1/8 inch shiplap joined panels to cover the walls of the concrete Test Building.The Cooling Porch is constructed from reclaimed concrete materials and fitted with integrated steel benches.
The team: An abridgement
What a journey! These kids, ready to learn how to craft a beautiful building, were not expecting a crash course in thermodynamics, experimental design, and scientific discourse. It was an incredible opportunity to do both. Blending design, construction, and scientific rigor was an extremely unique and fulfilling educational experience. And the TMBV team sharing that experience across North America!
Rowe, the TMBV team’s certified best and most patient construction instructor, has moved to Bozeman, Montana, to join Love | Schack Architecture.
Jeff, a master of power tools and 3D modeling, is taking time to further his coding and woodworking skills.
Cory, a most relaxed, renaissance man, is enjoying his stint at the Ghost Residency with MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
Livia, the heart and volume of the operation, has settled in Austin, Texas, working with Rural Studio Alums at Thoughtbarn.
A huge thank you to the faculty and staff of Auburn University Rural Studio, the teams’ student colleagues, the project consultants (including Joe Farruggia!), the donors and teachers of Turnipseed International, and “Crane” Shane of Sweetwater Construction LLC for your time, knowledge, and support. Most obviously and ardently, thank you to the TMBV research conglomerate Salmaan Craig, Andrew Freear, Steve Long, David Kennedy, Kiel Moe, Sebastien Asselin, and Remy Fortin for the stellar work and dedication. It took a village!
This lot loves Rural Studio and all of its people. Hope to see y’all soon.
Hello world, the Moundville Archaeological Park Pavilion project is back on with a few new faces!
Located along the Black Warrior River, the Moundville Archaeological Park is a Native American Heritage site that preserves 29 earthen mounds from over 800 years ago, that at its peak was one of America’s largest settlements north of Mexico. While the park currently operates as an active archaeological site, it remains open to the public for community gatherings and activities.
In 2018, the archaeological park approached Rural Studio about the need for an outdoor gathering space located in their campgrounds. The previous student team designed and began construction of the new pavilion but, due to the global pandemic, Auburn University had to halt construction and the project was put on hold until this fall. The new team of 5th-year students includes Brenton Smith (Dothan, AL), Caitlyn Biffle (Rogersville, AL), Collin Brown (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada), and Jackie Rosborough (Deerfield, IL).
Collaborating with Anderson Inge
The first step in the project was to begin researching the previous team’s design and evaluate the structure’s current condition after being exposed to the elements for over a year. To get a more accurate representation of the structure, the Studio worked with Assistant Professor Danielle Wilkens from the Georgia Institute of Technology, perform a LiDAR scan. Together they created an exact 3D model of the current pavilion’s structure. We also met with structural engineer Anderson Inge from Anderson Inge Building Workshop via Zoom, who provided some general observations from his visit and answered questions from the team. From the LiDAR scan and Anderson’s notes and suggestions, an accurate physical model was also made to act as a tool in the design process.
Charretting with Emily Knox and David Hill
Professors David Hill and Emily Knox of Auburn University’s Landscape Architecture program led a workshop with the team that focused on the potential of utilizing the landscape in the design. This first meeting focused mainly on using groundcover and shrub layers of vegetation to define space, paths, and views in and around the site.
Field sketches of blue stem grass, goldenrod, and sumac, all found in the park
A Discussion with Hank and Julie
We also had a visit from Hank Koning and Julie Eizenberg of Koning Eizenberg Architects, who led us in a design charrette to highlight the possibility of rethinking the pavilion’s cladding. By building the model and working through some first design iterations, we left with more clarity in our understanding of the current structure and the potentials for the design moving forward.
Charrette with Hank and Julie resulted in two different roof schemes
Live from HomeLab, it’s Wood Chimney Experiment preparation. The Thermal Mass and Buoyancy Ventilation Research Project team members are continuing their efforts to refine a passive cooling and ventilation system which can be deployed to public buildings in the rural South. Due to the fantastic results from the Concrete Chimney Experiment, the team is starting the Wood Chimney Experiment. They have developed an experimental method for designing and building chimneys which test the Optimal Tuning Strategy. They also have honed their data collection workflow and analysis. Now they can move on to testing how timber can work as a thermal mass. You can read about why we are using mass timber as a thermal mass here.
Section of the Wood Chimney Experiment design
The first step in Wood Chimney Experiment preparation is gathering materials. The team collected sensors that the Mass Timber Breathing Wall team is no longer using. Rural Studio has been growing its scientific equipment stock which allows for reuse between research projects. The TMBVRP team is inheriting data loggers, heat flux sensors, thermocouples, power supply, and airflow sensors. They will be using different temperature sensors, thermocouples and heat flux sensors, then are used in the Concrete Chimney Experiment. These sensors, like the GreenTeg Go Measurement System, will still deliver the proper temperature readings. This equipment is flexible and adaptable making it easily reusable between projects.
Reduce, Reuse, Re-sense!
Next, you might remember the team’s good friend, GeoFoam. GeoFoam is a type of dense expanded polystyrene foam usually used for earthwork under roadways. Both research teams have been able to use it as insulation for their experiments after the geofoam was donated to the Studio from a construction site. Remember, the team must cut smaller sections of GeoFoam from a huge 8’ x 4’ x 4’ block using a hot wire. The team was able to do so underneath the Morrisette Campus Fabrication Pavilion for a designated time and with faculty approval to ensure safety during the pandemic. They collected the rest of the batt insulation from storage in Brick Barn as well as materials for the structure of the experiment. Everything was hauled back to HomeLab for construction.
for Collect the Geofoam. Cut the Geofoam. Collect the structural materials. Transport the structural materials.
Next, the Thermal Mass and Buoyancy Ventilation team continued cutting down and shaping openings in the Geofoam. The top and bottom pieces of the chimney are made of two 6” thick pieces of GeoFoam that are adhered together as 1’ of insulation is needed for the proper U-Value for testing. The top and bottom pieces have cones carved out to ensure proper airflow. Resident King of Precision, Jeff Jeong, double and triple checks each piece of foam. This way the Chimney comes together like an airtight puzzle.
Gotta keep cutting that Geofoam
The base for the chimney is constructed out of 2” x 4” lumber and plywood. The legs of this base are taller than the Concrete Chimney Experiment to match its height after being raised. Another difference in the design of the experiments is the walls of the interior chimney which the wood panels will be attached to. The walls for the Concrete Chimney Experiment are, from the chimney chamber outward, concrete panels, insulation, plywood, and then more insulation. The walls of the Wood Chimney Experiment will be pine panels, insulation, ZIP sheathing, and then more insulation. Notice Dijon doing his best to help in the photos below.
We are all about the base.
Last, but not least, is pre-drilling holes for the concrete panels. The concrete panels will be screwed to the insulation, ZIP sheathing wall. There will be four walls to complete the chimney. Notice the grain direction of the panels. This edge grain allows for parallel heat transfer between the air within the chimney chamber and the pine panels. Not only is the Thermal Mass and Buoyancy Ventilation Research Project testing if timber works as a thermal mass but how the grain direction affects its efficiency as a thermal mass.
The Thermal Mass and Buoyancy Ventilation Team is excited for the Wood Chimney Experiment to come together. So are the kittens! The team would not leave you without a HomeLab mascot update. While Dijon mostly naps, Rosemary is trying to get some construction experience to build her resume. They’ve had to tell her she is not OSHA certified, but she is fine napping a safe distance from construction now. It was not a hard sell. Stay Tuned to see the completed Wood Chimney Experiment!
An important part of the Thermal Mass and Buoyancy Ventilation Research Project is investigating whether, if properly sized, mass timber can be used as a thermal mass. To do so, the team will build a Wood Chimney Experiment to run in parallel with the Concrete Chimney Experiment. As they work to compare the thermal mass performance of concrete and softwood, they must learn more about the thermal and structural properties of the materials. A material’s anatomy affects how it absorbs, transfers, and offloads heat. Concrete has been used as a thermal mass for ages and therefore has widely known and defined thermal properties. However, there is far less information on the thermal properties of wood. Let’s take a closer look at the composition of timber as taught to the team by colleague David Kennedy, a self-proclaimed, “Wood Anatomist Fanboy.”
Wood Anatomy lesson with Auburn University Professor David Kennedy. Sorry we caught you blinking David!
The first consideration for wood is the difference between isotropic and anisotropic materials. Isotropic materials, like concrete, have consistent properties in all directions. Anisotropic materials, like wood, have orientation dependant properties. Wood has an anisotropic, cellular structure that provides its strength and its the ability to move water and minerals to the outer reaches of the branches. A tree’s main job is to transfer water and nutrients from the ground to the sky and vice versa. Therefore, wood cells can be visualized as bundles of straws, with some acting as pipelines while others store nutrients. These cells consist of tracheids, parenchyma, and epithelial cells. Tracheids are actually dead cells that function as water transporters. Parenchyma store starches that give nutrients for the tree. Epithelial cells take on the job of building the tree. These cells act vertically, while ray tracheids, ray parenchyma, and ray epithelial cells work in the horizontal direction.
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As trees grow their structural properties change based on what they need. This is why different parts of the tree are composed of different types of wood depending on their age. If a cross-section is examined, two important types of wood will be present, juvenile wood and heartwood. Juvenile wood is a weaker less dense outer ring and is usually distinguished by a lighter color. This wood makes up the early growth and is not evenly distributed throughout the tree. Often, the tops of trees will be 100% juvenile wood, while the lower parts of the tree are more mature heartwood. Heartwood, the mature, older wood, is produced by converting stored chemicals that are produced by the dying parenchyma cells that have been sent to the center of the tree. This area of the tree is typically darker and denser. These different cells and wood types can result in different characteristics throughout the same tree, which must be carefully considered.
Different cuts of wood result in different grain condition which cause different construction systems
The performance of thermal mass is heavily influenced by the thermal conductivity of materials. The thermal conductivity of materials is heavily influenced by the density of materials. With the variety of conditions that are possible all within the same tree, it is important to consider how the material is cut and oriented. This is also important because of the grain directions present in the wood. Just like water flows through the tree along cellular pathways, heat will follow the grain of the wood. Therefore, the cut of the wood must be selected so that the grain in the same direction as the preferred heat transfer.
How heat transfer is affected by grain orientation and construction.
Now that we have learned more about the structure of wood and how that affects its heat transfer we can understand how the wood should be cut and oriented. Initially, the team’s wood test panels utilized the timber end grain. This end grain direction would be parallel to heat transfer. However, depending on the size of the tree and how blocks were cut, the types of wood in the panels could become inconsistent. This meaning they could be made of different mixtures of juvenile wood and heartwood. They were also pretty inefficient to make.
Thermal mass wood panels from old tests with end grain to new chimney panels with edge grain.
To find a better way, the team investigated the different ways timber is milled into boards. The TMBVRP team found that different cuts of wood could produce different grain directions. The most efficient grain direction for our panels would be to have the grain running perpendicular to the wide face of the boards. This allows the board to cover the area most efficiently, and the board thickness can be controlled to work with the app results. This grain direction can result from several milling, but we believe quarter sawing will produce the most favorable boards with the least waste. The team then made their own version of these boards, but as panels for their wood chimney.
Wood is a far more complex than the Thermal Mass and Buoyancy Ventilation Research Project Team realized! They too are now “Wood Anatomist Fanboys” and hope you’re on you’re way to becoming one. Now, Give your brain a break and look at Rosemary and Dijon being mischievious! Thank you again to David Kennedy for all the help and as usual stay tuned to see what theTMBVRP Team learns next!
