For centuries, carpenters have crafted carpentry joints and the production methods have been bound by traditions. Many cultures have had their own joinery traditions, and in cultures such as the Chinese or Japanese, these traditions have been strong. In Europe, the traditions for structural joinery are closely related, but with regional differences. Present development of computer numerical controlled (CNC) milling machines have provided renewed interest in structural wood joints. It is now possible to produce them effectively and economically with high precision. Therefore, the design need to be informed both by industrial parameters and by traditional carpentry knowledge.
The focus in this workshop will be to develop and build a timber structure. The discussions will include architecture, space, structure, joints and timber material. An important focus in the discussions will be on the detail, and the differences found between structural wood joints made by hand and electrical hand tools, machines and robots. By making structural details by different kind of tools, the participants learn about the properties of wood and how wood can be used in new and inventive ways. By bringing the detail back into the center of the architectural design, architecture thus may regain the important synthesis of structure and expression.