First-year architectural students at the University of Queensland log on to the new EWPAA website during a lunch break at the Zelman Cowan Building this week.
Pictured are Lara Rann, Philippa Webb and Thomas Webster who are among an increasing number of students at the School of Architecture using engineered wood in their design projects.
The new ‘new-look’ website – at www.ewp.asn.au – continues to provide a regular news and information service for architects, timber engineers, specifiers, students and builders.
Services provided by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia include technical information, advice on Australian and New Zealand building codes and standards, updates on forest and forest product certification and building materials performance.
EWPAA is currently working with the School of Architecture on special projects ‘built’ in to the 2015-16 student curriculum.
These include a design-build project by students scheduled for this summer using engineered wood for structure and cladding.
This involves the erection of a small prefabricated studio house no larger than 25 sq m which will form the template for a cross-disciplinary design-build summer studio.
The project will benefit adolescents leaving state care, delivering into programs run by organisations such as Kids Under Cover and Anglicare.
Timothy O’Rourke, lecturer at the UQ School of Architecture, said the program would have broad appeal to students working in teams to deliver a significant and tangible product that has direct benefit to the community. “The aim will be to work with the various chairs of teaching and learning committees from schools within the faculty throughout 2015 to establish the course structure that would enable the program to continue beyond the initial pilot.”
Another project supported by the School of Architecture – the ‘Burst Open’ Exhibition – explores architecture and design through the lens of the emerging global phenomena of open-source.
Exhibition curator and UQ senior lecturer in architecture John de Manincor said the exhibition explored how information sharing related not only to the design of objects but to architecture and the built environment.
Designers from around the world have been invited to participate in a new ‘design model experiment’ as part of the exhibition which has expanded from an initial focus on software to the design of practical objects.
“It’s exciting to see the models, drawings and full-scale prototypes from our Masters students exhibited alongside high-profile local and international designers, including a few UQ alumni,” Mr de Manincor said.
‘Burst Open’ also features work by UQ students and one of the School of Architecture’s new adjunct professors Virginia San Fratello.
