no standards : a hill of beans

standardization is not intrinsically bad: dimensional lumber makes it more straightforward to spec construction projects, trees are being harvested more quickly and with less waste, and construction methods are not necessarily simpler but more consistent.

however, this standardazation has become a sort of hinderance to design possibilities. to build non-rectilinear objects or employ atypical structural systems has become an almost nonsensical idea. the nature of standard construction often stifles creativity by imposing practical, financial, and other limitations.

by studying nonstandard geometries and building materials in a design research studio led by adam modesitt, students begin to question notions of convention and standardization: who imposed these standards? what purposes do they serve? how are they seen in everyday life? what is their impact on built space? what labor is required to uphold them?

to explore the additional challenges of working against the grain, we worked with computer modelled “beans” that exhibit complex curvature, present questions of construction, and resist orientation.

this exploration was done within the framework of standardization, so it became an exercise in using standard materials in unintended and provocative ways. for instance, the beans are “sliced” into 3” thick pieces to be cnc routed from xps insulation boards, covered in wall texture and interior paint, and held together with tent stakes, drywall anchors, eye-hooks, and zipties. this divergence from conventional use of the tools was driven by the material properties of the beans (their strength in compression, weakness in tension, etc.) and the design intention to avoid external structure.

the hills were digitally generated through gravity and collision simulation and prototyped by hand using 3d printed scale models of the beans. each of the configurations is intended to amplify the possibilities of stacking and tying as a structure that directly contrasts framing and other standard systems.

the translation of information from digital model space into the real world exists at the core of this project as well - cradles, jigs, spreadsheets, renderings, and physical and digital models all serve as tools to facilitate this translation.

working with fabricated pieces, rather than found objects as has been explored in other projects at other institutions and firms, presents another set of challenges, as well as a number of opportunities. registration points for aligning and adhering the slices of beans together also serve as a tool for locating the three dimensional coordinates of the connection points (where the tent stakes would be drilled into the beans).

this project is a collaboration with other tulane students:

sara bhatia, jorge blandin, hayden boyce, eli fisher, nicholas george, lauren jennings, zach levy, lauren mcgrath, malina pickard, charlie powell, gabrielle proeh, sean tichenor

lots of the pictures are from leigh winkelhake

jesse toohey