On display at the Chelsea College of Art Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground as part of the London Design Festival, The Smile is a curved, tubular structure meant to showcase the structural and spatial potential of cross-laminated American Tulipwood and CLT in general.
The project, which was designed by Alison Brooks Architects in association with The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Arup, and the London Design Festival, measures 3.5 meters high, 4.5 meters wide, and 34 meters long and can be inhabited and explored by the public.
The Smile claims to be the first project in the world to use large, construction-sized hardwood CLT panels. The entire structure is made up of just 12 panels, each one measuring up to 14 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. The fabrication of these panels in a CLT production plant helped to showcase how the material could be used for commercial projects.
CLT is typically made from spruce, a softer wood, but Arup and AHEC have been experimenting with North American Tulipwood, which is fast-growing and has shown to be considerably stronger than spruce. Its appearance is also considered by many to be superior.
The structure is on display until the 12th of October.
You can view a time-lapse video of its construction below.
Photo courtesy of Alison Brooks Architects
Photo courtesy of Alison Brooks Architects
Related Stories
| Mar 20, 2014
13 dazzling wood building designs [slideshow]
From bold structural glulam designs to striking textured wall and ceiling schemes, these award-winning building projects showcase the design possibilities using wood.
| Mar 19, 2014
Green Building Initiative Invited to White House Rural Council Event to Support Growth of Green Building, Jobs, and Rural Communities
Green Building Initiative (GBI) Vice President for National Affairs Erin Schaffer is participated in an event at the U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters on Tuesday, March 18th, designed to highlight the Obama Administration’s commitment to promoting building construction projects that use green materials, while also supporting jobs in rural communities.
| Sep 9, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 1 coverage
The first annual BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo kicked off this morning at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza. The BD+C editorial team is here en masse to bring you this real-time report from the show. Here’s is our recap of the education sessions from Day 1.
| Jun 19, 2013
Florida is latest battleground over LEED standards centered on certified wood
A nationwide battle over forest certification standards continues to be played out nationally and in Florida with legislation passed this month.
| Jun 4, 2013
SOM research project examines viability of timber-framed skyscraper
In a report released today, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill discussed the results of the Timber Tower Research Project: an examination of whether a viable 400-ft, 42-story building could be created with timber framing. The structural type could reduce the carbon footprint of tall buildings by up to 75%.
| Apr 30, 2013
First look: North America's tallest wooden building
The Wood Innovation Design Center (WIDC), Prince George, British Columbia, will exhibit wood as a sustainable building material widely availablearound the globe, and aims to improve the local lumber economy while standing as a testament to new construction possibilities.
| Apr 24, 2013
North Carolina bill would ban green rating systems that put state lumber industry at disadvantage
North Carolina lawmakers have introduced state legislation that would restrict the use of national green building rating programs, including LEED, on public projects.
| Feb 28, 2013
Lend Lease builds world's tallest timber apartment building
Construction giant Lend Lease recently put the finishing touches on Forté, a 10-story apartment complex in Melbourne, Australia's Victoria Harbour that was built entirely with cross laminated timber (CTL) technology.
| Feb 26, 2013
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau publishes new design values effective June 1
New design values for all sizes and grades of visually graded Southern Pine dimension lumber were published in the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau’s (SPIB) Supplement No.13 to the 2002 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber on Feb. 11.
| Feb 26, 2013
ANSI standard for interior doors open for second public ballot
WDMA I.S.6A-11, Industry Standard for Interior Architectural Wood Stile and Rail Doors and WDMA I.S.1A-11, Industry Standard for Interior Architectural Wood Flush Doors, are now open for their second ballot for recognition as American National Standards.
