Digital Tools for Building with Challenging Resources

We present an assembly- and fabrication aware reciprocal frame construction system that exploits new possibilities of the latest generation of automatic joinery machines. Sweet chestnut wood (Castanea sativa), is a species that is currently not used for building construction in Germany. The wood of castanea sativa is highly durable and ideal for exterior conditions, but it will corrode metal connectors unless they are stainless steel. Therefore, our system uses only digitally fabricated wood-wood dovetail joints. It was inspired by Friedrich Zollingers “Zollbauweise”, in its geometry as well as its philosophy—while adding a second curvature to increase stability and considering assembly constraints of the dovetail joints.