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02, Nov 2024 -

Creating timber structures using protobuilding and design thinking

Creating timber structures using protobuilding and design thinking

July_2024_-_Creating_timber_structures_using_protobuilding_and_design_thinking_1.jpgFinding solutions, prototyping and putting solutions through the wringer are all part of the UP timber appreciation workshops.

"What does the optimal sustainable house design look like?" asks Dr Schalk Grobbelaar, "is it possible to apply systems thinking to develop integrated and optimised housing solutions?"

Grobbelaar, a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria's Department of Engineering and Technology Management, says, "Traditional housing design involves designing a shell and then trying to plug various solutions into it without integrating them into the design process. Thus, every house takes significant effort to develop, leaving little room for developing optimised solutions".

Systems thinking prompts an integrated and optimised housing solution. "This is different from other product development processes," says Grobbelaar. "Think, for example, of mobile phones or laptops. Every feature is fully integrated into the solution and optimised while leaving space for personalisation".

Grobbelaar is a speaker at the Wood Conference in Cape Town in February. He will motivate a systems approach to building design incorporating the concept of "protobuilding".

"A systems architecture approach is used to identify the user needs, solutions for these needs and how the system behaves. Why can't we use this approach to design houses or other structures? What could be gained by adopting a systems thinking approach to develop homes?" he asks.

Applying a system mindset requires various technical and soft skills and the collaboration of individuals trained in different subjects, including physical sciences, engineering, economics, behavioural sciences, life sciences, architecture, and construction work.

The American architect John Tobin introduced the concept of "protobuilding" in 2008 in a paper by that name. Tobin wrote, "We would be better served to look beyond using BIM [building information modelling] merely as a more powerful representation tool, and instead to treat the models we create as 'proto-buildings'".

Tobin adopted the Greek 'Proto' as in prototype, the first version of an entity that will later be replicated. He posited that BIM models are the first iteration of a building.

"If we are sufficiently motivated, we will not model to merely show others the intended outcome of a different, separate process. Rather, we will proto-build, that is, make a first-building. In doing so, we will gain an unprecedented advantage over any previous architectural era - the opportunity to build twice".

July_2024_-_Creating_timber_structures_using_protobuilding_and_design_thinking_2.jpgSystems thinking and protobuilding in action

Grobbelaar says the process includes the five stages of design thinking:

  1. Empathise: Understand the users' needs.
  2. Define: Identify the needs and design problems.
  3. Imagine: Develop potential solutions.
  4. Prototype: Transform the ideas into a tangible solution and build a model.
  5. Test: Test the solution.

It will enable the development of innovative solutions by allowing a safe space for creativity and experimentation. The learning-by-doing approach facilitates hands-on, task-oriented, problem-solving education.

Collaboration between users, architects, engineers, and contractors throughout the project facilitates identifying the operational constrictions, bottlenecks, and weak points early in the design phase.

"By taking this approach, we can answer questions like:

  • Should a solar panel be placed on the roof, or should it be the roof?
  • What type of roof structure would be optimal for rainwater harvesting?
  • What would an expandable or modifiable house look like?" says Grobbelaar.

July_2024_-_Creating_timber_structures_using_protobuilding_and_design_thinking_3.jpgThe July 2023 students building models during their RAW Modular practical programme

"The journey has begun…".

Source: WoodBiz Magazine - January 2024 (Pages 11 - 12)

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