duck tower
a modular cantilevered wooden tower of verticality
ARCH160
Dana Buntrock, David Jaehning
Group Project: Daniel Barrio, Isabella Kennedy
UC Berkeley || Spring '19
In this Introduction to Construction class, the assignment was to create a modular wooden tower that reaches a height of 12', with each module being constrained to fit within a 3'x3' cube. It was also required to cantilever a textbook at least 4' off the ground. This wooden tower celebrates slender verticality, simplicity, and modularity to highlight the strength and beauty of basic building materials like plywood.
the system
The tower consists of four interlocking modules that slot into each other; a system that enables simple assembly and disassembly. This alternating and interlocking system, inspired by the manufacturing process of plywood which alternates the direction of the grain within the layers of veneer, helps to create a strong and sturdy network of connections which reinforce each other without the use of metal hardware.
The vertical grouping and spacing of the plywood members reinforce the visual qualities of the material, specifically the layered patterning of the plywood end-grain.
the assembly
The tower was built out of 1/2” and 3/4” plywood strips that are connected through a series of lap joints and dado joints.
