The aim of the ‘materials and structure’ workshop was to explore the possibilities and limitations of a chosen material, in this case, timber. As a group a decision was made to approach the task of designing a shelter using timber battens of a set dimension under the headings of economy of materials, simplicity of design and use of a universal system of jointing the material. Due to the long, narrow proportions of these battens, the junctions between the pieces were established as the key points of the design, and the decision to aim for an economy of materials dictated that no other materials but timber would be used.

The design of the ‘universal joint’, a uniform joint that could be used in any circumstance, became the primary aim of the project. How to design the simplest method of jointing the elements given, creating a simple, repetitive but universal system.    

To complete the brief of providing shelter it was necessary to superimpose a ‘secondary system’ of another two elements with a secondary system of jointing onto the framing system. This secondary system provided the opportunity to break from the rigidity of the framing system by using a more flexible system of jointing. This secondary system consisted of two element types, again each with a halved joint on each end, but in this system they were both on the same face of the element.