Apolda Workshop – Timber Connection Experiments
Design students investigate multiple joinery methodologies through parallel explorations. The primary lattice structure employs traditional timber connections, assembled collectively through diagonal bracing configurations that create temporary infrastructure for gathering and rest. Simultaneously, participants experiment with alternative rope-based systems on plywood test surfaces, using nodes to create tension-activated joints. These parallel investigations contrast conventional rigid timber assembly with flexible textile-based structural logic. The workshop demonstrates how standardized construction lumber can generate diverse spatial configurations depending on connection methodology, allowing students to discover structural possibilities through hands-on material experimentation rather than predetermined engineering solutions.
Apolda, Thuringia, central Germany.
