Building connections to the site and the timber framework
The first week of LearnBIØN course #3 Design and Build with Cordwood started on the 1st august with an introduction in Järna. The team was gathered with participants from 9 nationalities, all with unique skills that each one brings to the project.
The first week main goal was to get an overview of the resources present on site, what and how we can use materials and skills that are present. During these 4 weeks we will build a small boutique where the farmers can sell their produce to visitors and store the vegetables indoor. We had an introduction to the site by Adhim, how it’s being used and the activities on site. After getting to know the site we produced a couple of alternative designs for a discussion with the farmers of their preference. We settled with the idea of using half of the construction for the boutique, with a small storage room attached.
We worked with wood construction, the framework for the building. A lot of work was put into recycling the timber from the wooden pallets that had been donated. We also started investigating other local resources from the site. The clay that we will use for the mortar, that has been dug out on site. Tania who joined us from Portugal helped us with the clay tests, explaining how clay works and the basics of how clay perform. Clay tests with different mortar mixes were used to find a good mix for our construction. The clay on site was very pure and required us to soak it well before we could mix it up.
Landing a big group on the site was also part of our first week. We did a thorough cleaning of the tool shed and office and ordered some more materials and tools to start the work with the outdoor kitchen, so we can cook our lunches onsite.
The first week was also about building a team, which we happily succeeded with. Meals are cooked and prepared together, and all participants live together in one big house in Järna. A great way of getting to know everyone and building a strong team that can communicate across nationalities, languages and seek new knowledge from each other experiences.
