Design and Build with Cordwood
31 July- 27th August 2017
Design and Build with Cordwood, a 4 week building workshop in Östertälje, Sweden. During this workshop we built a cordwood structure to suit the needs of the newly established social enterprise Eko-Odlarna. They cultivate organic produce on a small plot of land on the outskirts of Östertälje.
Cordwood is a building technique that uses the material and resources from the Swedish environment, with wood, clay, sand and straw as the main components. The technique can be described as masonry with wood, where cobs or left over pieces of wood can be masoned together with a mortar mix made from clay, straw and sand. In this workshop we investigate suitable ways of building in cordwood, how to process the raw materials on site and how to design a cordwood building with partially reused materials.
The Design
The workshop also has a large focus on the method of “making architecture”, how can people contribute with skills, knowledge to the process of designing and making structures in a collaborative way. In the workshop we practice co-creating design and developing insights on alternative processes. We have the opportunity to work closely with the users of the building, which will bring new perspectives to integrate into the project development.
Participants will take part in all aspects from design, decision making, documentation, implementing the structure. In all aspects dialogue will be the means for the group to reach decision, which challenges the collective in trust, coherence and action.
“It had a great development if we consider that at the beginning almost all was a bit lost by having to decide the design and meet each other, finding each others skills and join in a group that suits each one. At the end it was already fluid and with no need for rigid structure of tasks.”
— Participant in the workshop
The Material
Cordwood
Cordwood construction can be described as masonry with wood, where cobs or left over pieces of wood are masoned together with either mortar or as in case of this workshop; with cob made from clay, straw and sand. All these materials are natural, renewable and abundant in the Swedish environment. During the workshop participants will learn this method while building a useful structure, a direct learning by doing approach.
Through the workshop we practice new ways of engaging in the built environment. Participants will have gained further knowledge in methods on how to engage and organise the built environment from a social starting point. To utilise resources, both skills and physical materials, in new ways to reach an architecture relating to the context and the community. With these aspirations, the cordwood technique can be seen as an enabler, adaptive to what resources are at hand.
The workshop will explore if and in what way this technique can have a relevance for today’s built environment.
Workshop Resources
News from the workshop
Architectural Environmental Strategies is a nonprofit organization founded in 2009, working within the field of architecture, planning and sustainable development.
A main goal for us was to build agency for the farmers, in finding more ways to create inclusive practices on site in Östertälje. And doing so with the help of the built environment. A powerful way to materialise the existence for this community, and make present structures visible. We wanted to strengthen the stakeholders chance to voice their own ideas and aspirations about the places they inhabit. We use the concept of placemaking, a collaborative process, where the connection between people and a place they share becomes stronger through the use of altering the built environment. This process utelise the skills, dreams and potential of a community and it results in the creation of spaces that contribute to well being and increased agency.
Architectural Environmental Strategies
Anna Sundman, Project Management and Research aesmejl@gmail.com
Team
AES
Anna
Aaron
Sergio
Emma
Participants Partner Mobility
Joana | OC
Ana | CV
Laura | Ak0
Pedro | DT
Giovanni | Arco
Romain | HE2B
Participants
Sara
Heléne
Sofia
Pantelina
Artemis
Katerina
Andrea
Paulette
André
Participants BI0N Partner
Tania | OC
Francois | HE2B
Nicolas | HE2B
Sara | Ak0