Skip to main content

Seeing a Tree as a Prerequisite to Timber Architecture

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Digital Wood Design

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering ((LNCE,volume 24))

  • 10k Accesses

Abstract

This chapter discusses the way in which a tree’s geometry is visually perceived and constrained in architectural design. The discussion is centered at the intersection of visual perception and geometry to explore the design opportunities in a tree’s complex geometry. The first part outlines the representational framework and the role of visual perception in seeing tree geometry. The second part repositions timber architecture typologies using the framework discussed in the first part. The third part illustrates alternative approaches for embedding tree geometry in timber designs. This representational platform aligns well with the emerging movement on organic timber architecture and is timely due to the recent advancements in timber manufacturing and technology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abrahamsen RB, Malo KA (2014). Structural design and assembly of “Treet”—A 14-storey timber residential building in Norway. In: World conference on timber engineering 2014, p 8

    Google Scholar 

  • Adams J (ed) (2013) Carvel building in retrospect. In: A maritime archaeology of ships, innovation and social change in late medieval and early modern Europe. Oxbow Books, pp 175–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Born L, Jonas FA., Bunk K, Masselter T, Speck T, Knippers J Gresser GT (2016). Branched structures in plants and architecture. In: Biomimetic research for architecture and building construction. Springer, Cham, pp 195–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Brell-Cokcan S, Reis M, Schmiedhofer H, Braumann J (2009) Digital design to digital production: flank milling with a 7-axis robot and parametric design. In: 27th ECAADe Conference proceedings on computation: the new realm of architectural design, pp 323–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Ernest E (1989) Process for manufacturing corrugated plywood composites. US4816103A

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein J (2017) In Poland’s crooked forest, a mystery with no straight answer—The New York Times

    Google Scholar 

  • Koffka K (1922) Perception: an introduction to the Gestalt-theorie. Psychol Bull 19:531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laseau P (2001) Graphic thinking for architects and designers. Wiley

    Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig F, Schwertfreger H, Storz O (2012) Living systems: designing growth in Baubotanik. Archit Des 82:82–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Maloney TM (1996) The family of wood composite materials. For Prod J Madison 46:18

    Google Scholar 

  • Marr D, Ullman S, Poggio TA (2010) Vision: a computational investigation into the human representation and processing of visual information. MIT Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattheck C (1998) Design in nature: learning from trees. Springer-Verlag, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Muslimin R (2014) EthnoComputation : on weaving grammars for architectural design. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    Google Scholar 

  • Muslimin R (2012) Recursive embedding of gestalt laws and shape grammar in the weaving design process. Presented at the the 30th eCAADe, Prague, Czech Republic, pp 443–449

    Google Scholar 

  • Poirier E, Moudgil M, Fallahi A, Staub-French S, Tannert T (2016) Design and construction of a 53-meter-tall timber building at the University of British Columbia. In: Proceedings of the world conference on timber engineering, Vienna, Austria

    Google Scholar 

  • Prusinkiewicz P, Lindenmayer A (1996) The algorithmic beauty of plants. Springer-Verlag, New York

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Ramage MH, Burridge H, Busse-Wicher M, Fereday G, Reynolds T, Shah DU, Wu G, Yu L, Fleming P, Densley-Tingley D (2017) The wood from the trees: the use of timber in construction. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 68:333–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raumonen P, Kaasalainen M, Akerblom M, Kaasalainen S, Kaartinen H, Vastaranta M, Holopainen M, Disney M, Lewis P (2013) Fast automatic precision tree models from terrestrial laser scanner data. Remote Sens 5:491–520

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeve MM (2012) Gothic. Stud Iconogr 33:233–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosette J, Field C, Nelson R, DeCola P, Cook B (2011) A new photon-counting lidar system for vegetation analysis. Proc Silvilaser, 1–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Runions A, Fuhrer M, Lane B, Federl P, Rolland-Lagan A-G, Prusinkiewicz P (2005) Modeling and visualization of leaf venation patterns. ACM Trans Graph (TOG) 24:702–711

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheurer F (2010) Materialising complexity. Archit Des 80:86–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Schindler C, Tamke M, Tabatabai A, Bereuter M (2013) Serial branches

    Google Scholar 

  • Schindler C, Tamke M, Tabatabai A, Bereuter M, Yoshida H (2014) Processing branches: reactivating the performativity of natural wooden form with contemporary information technology. Int J Archit Comput 12:101–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Self M (2016) Hooke Park: applications for timber in its natural form. In: Menges A, Schwinn T, Krieg OD (eds) Advancing wood Architecture: a computational approach

    Google Scholar 

  • Self M, Vercruysse M (2017) Infinite variations, radical strategies. Fabricate, 30–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiger L (2007) Basics timber construction, 1st edn. Birkhäuser Architecture, Basel, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiny G (2006) Shape: talking about seeing and doing. The MIT Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiny G (1993) Boolean algebras for shapes and individuals. Environ Plan B Plan Des 20:359–362. https://doi.org/10.1068/b200359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strahler AH, Jupp DL, Woodcock CE, Schaaf CB, Yao T, Zhao F, Yang X, Lovell J, Culvenor D, Newnham G (2008) Retrieval of forest structural parameters using a ground-based lidar instrument (Echidna®). Can J Remote Sens 34:S426–S440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tittmann P, Shafii S, Hartsough B, Hamann B (2011) Tree detection and delineation from LiDAR point clouds using RANSAC. Proc SilviLaser

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagemans J, Elder JH, Kubovy M, Palmer SE, Peterson MA, Singh M, von der Heydt R (2012a) A century of Gestalt psychology in visual perception: I. perceptual grouping and figure-ground organization. Psychol Bull 138:1172

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagemans J, Feldman J, Gepshtein S, Kimchi R, Pomerantz JR, van der Helm PA, van Leeuwen C (2012b) A century of Gestalt psychology in visual perception: II conceptual and theoretical foundations. Psychol Bull 138:1218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace IH (1968) Piet Mondrian : the evolution of his neo-plastic aesthetic 1908–1920. University of British Columbia. https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0104386

  • Wertheimer M (1938) Laws of organization in perceptual forms

    Google Scholar 

  • Wertheimer M (1923) A brief introduction to gestalt, identifying key theories and principles. Psychol Forsch 4:301–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xfrog (2010) XfrogPlants blue-gum eucalyptus [WWW Document]. TurboSquid. URL https://www.turbosquid.com

Download references

Acknowledgements

The tree images in Figs. 311 are based on a model provided by Xfrog (Xfrog 2010), a courtesy of TurboSquid.com.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rizal Muslimin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Muslimin, R. (2019). Seeing a Tree as a Prerequisite to Timber Architecture. In: Bianconi, F., Filippucci, M. (eds) Digital Wood Design. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03676-8_34

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03676-8_34

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03675-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-03676-8

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics