Timber Research Structures

Summerhill series

Continuing the series of innovative plywood and solid timber structures that explore new approaches to timber construction, produced in collaboration with postgraduate students at the University of Auckland School of Architecture & Planning, these projects are a series of small interventions at in the forest Summerhill Farm near Tauranga.

Functionally, these structures have fulfill a variety of roles – landscape markers, outdoor classrooms, and rest structures for mountain bike trails. Each project in the ongoing series had only a small budget: less than $10,000 for design, materials, fabrication, shipping, and installation.

Earlier projects in the timber research structures work series used Abodo screening timber, which is light and very stable timber that facilitated very accurate milling. As with most digitally machined structures, they relied on very stable timbers (Abodo, natural hardwoods, CLT, LVL) that are either expensive or not suitable for outdoor use. Lower quality timbers are problematic as the natural behavior of the timber—warping, twisting, shrinking—makes the required precision difficult to achieve. Our next step, therefore, was to further develop the technology to allow the combined use of unstable timber and precision machining, the next structure updated an ancient Japanese wedged joint technique to seamlessly absorb inaccuracies or deformation in the timber elements. The Timber Monogamy project extending this – there were no nails or screws fixings in the above-ground structure; only wedges. Alternatively, as a step towards reinvigorating unique Māori building technologies, another pavilion adapted the post-tensioned heavy timber construction of pre-colonial Māori whare. Where whare employed hand-adzed wall-beam joints and flax tensioning ropes, this structure combines digital milling and the standard agricultural wire fence strainers.

These structures are made of timber grown in the forest in which they stand. They combine ancient timber techniques with contemporary digital milling technology and pragmatic agricultural materials and fittings. Our goal for these projects was lightweight, sustainable structures that expand the possibilities for timber construction, a core part of our response to the current climate emergency.

The project was supported by the Resene, Osmo, Spax Pacific, Alsynite, Cyclone Wire, Strainrite, Mitek, Summerhill Timber, and the WIDE Trust. 

2021 Summerhill Classroom, Joshua Crandall

2021 Summerhill Pavilion, Chaoran Qui

2022 Wedge Pavilion, Ethan Aish

2022 Summerhill Whare, Josh Bovill

2023 Timber Monogamy, Gregory Mann

LOCATION Summerhill Mountainbike Park, Papamoa

YEARS 2021 - Ongoing

PROJECT TEAM Joshua Crandall, Charoan Qui, Ethan Aish, Josh Bovill, Gregory Mann, AProf. Mike Davis, and Richard Goldie.

CONSULTANTS Structural Engineer: Cass Goodwin, Batchelor McDougal Consultants 

PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Reynolds, Greg Mann