On display at the Chelsea College of Art Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground as part of the London Design Festival, The Smile is a curved, tubular structure meant to showcase the structural and spatial potential of cross-laminated American Tulipwood and CLT in general.
The project, which was designed by Alison Brooks Architects in association with The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Arup, and the London Design Festival, measures 3.5 meters high, 4.5 meters wide, and 34 meters long and can be inhabited and explored by the public.
The Smile claims to be the first project in the world to use large, construction-sized hardwood CLT panels. The entire structure is made up of just 12 panels, each one measuring up to 14 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. The fabrication of these panels in a CLT production plant helped to showcase how the material could be used for commercial projects.
CLT is typically made from spruce, a softer wood, but Arup and AHEC have been experimenting with North American Tulipwood, which is fast-growing and has shown to be considerably stronger than spruce. Its appearance is also considered by many to be superior.
The structure is on display until the 12th of October.
You can view a time-lapse video of its construction below.
Photo courtesy of Alison Brooks Architects
Photo courtesy of Alison Brooks Architects
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
| Aug 11, 2010
AAMA leads development of BIM standard for fenestration products
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s newly formed BIM Task Group met during the AAMA National Fall Conference to discuss the need for an BIM standard for nonresidential fenestration products.
| Aug 11, 2010
Pella Corporation ranks highest in customer satisfaction
Pella Corporation has earned the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates award for “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Window and Patio Door Manufacturers” for the third year in a row.
| Aug 11, 2010
Pella introduces BIM models for windows and doors
Pella Corporation now offers three-dimensional (3D) window and door models for use in Building Information Modeling (BIM) projects by architects, designers, and others looking for aesthetically correct, easy-to-use, data-rich 3D drawings.
| Aug 11, 2010
AAMA developing product-based green certification program for fenestration
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association is working on a product-based green certification program for residential and commercial fenestration, the organization announced today. AAMA will use the results of a recent green building survey to help shape the program. Among the survey's findings: 77% of respondents reported a green certification program for fenestration would benefit the product selection process for their company.
| Aug 11, 2010
AIA Course: Enclosure strategies for better buildings
Sustainability and energy efficiency depend not only on the overall design but also on the building's enclosure system. Whether it's via better air-infiltration control, thermal insulation, and moisture control, or more advanced strategies such as active façades with automated shading and venting or novel enclosure types such as double walls, Building Teams are delivering more efficient, better performing, and healthier building enclosures.
| Aug 11, 2010
World's tallest all-wood residential structure opens in London
At nine stories, the Stadthaus apartment complex in East London is the world’s tallest residential structure constructed entirely in timber and one of the tallest all-wood buildings on the planet. The tower’s structural system consists of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels pieced together to form load-bearing walls and floors. Even the elevator and stair shafts are constructed of prefabricated CLT.
| Aug 11, 2010
Great Solutions: Products
14. Mod Pod A Nod to Flex Biz Designed by the British firm Tate + Hindle, the OfficePOD is a flexible office space that can be installed, well, just about anywhere, indoors or out. The self-contained modular units measure about seven feet square and are designed to serve as dedicated space for employees who work from home or other remote locations.
