Sibling
Type: Sculpture
Medium: Rhino + Grasshopper
Material: Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)
Year: 2024
Location: Interior Design Show Vancouver / Design Vancouver Festival
Medium: Rhino + Grasshopper
Material: Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)
Year: 2024
Location: Interior Design Show Vancouver / Design Vancouver Festival
The Concept
Sibling is a freeform sculptural timber installation designed to intercept industrial waste and propose a circular economy for mass timber construction. Following a government funded research program at Fast + Epp's Concept Lab, a significant amount of structurally viable Cross Laminated Timber waste was produced. While functionally and aesthetically perfect, these test specimens lacked a formalized reuse method. This project transforms those exact offcuts into functional seating. Drawing inspiration from the fluid geometries of heritage wooden boats, the design acts as a physical manifesto for sustainable material lifecycles. The overall form reads as a united, free flowing object, but it is modular by design. Individual sections can be pulled out to serve as single seats or display pedestals. The collection lives physically split between the Concept Lab and DIALOG studios, acting as siblings tied together by their material origin.
The Computation
Repurposing rigid industrial waste into fluid, ergonomic forms requires an adaptive manufacturing workflow. Rhino and Grasshopper were used to generate the amorphous geometry and subdivide the overall volume into individual modular billets based on the available scrap sizes. To execute the complex surface curvature without relying on inefficient subtractive milling, an ABB 6-axis industrial robot was utilized. The CLT billets were mounted at a precise 45 degree angle, allowing the robot arm to carve the form in discrete 15mm steps. This strategic toolpathing optimized the milling time and left a deliberate, stepped texture on the final surface, serving as a transparent record of the digital fabrication process. This robotic workflow establishes a scalable, automated pipeline for upcycling mass timber cutoffs into architectural products.
Exhibitions & Collaborators
Showcased at Interior Design Show Vancouver 2024 and Design Vancouver Festival 2024. Collaborators include Brandon Sullivan, Bernhard Zarnitz, Stewart Burgess, Ryan McClanaghan, Robert Jackson, and Tobias Fast.
Sibling is a freeform sculptural timber installation designed to intercept industrial waste and propose a circular economy for mass timber construction. Following a government funded research program at Fast + Epp's Concept Lab, a significant amount of structurally viable Cross Laminated Timber waste was produced. While functionally and aesthetically perfect, these test specimens lacked a formalized reuse method. This project transforms those exact offcuts into functional seating. Drawing inspiration from the fluid geometries of heritage wooden boats, the design acts as a physical manifesto for sustainable material lifecycles. The overall form reads as a united, free flowing object, but it is modular by design. Individual sections can be pulled out to serve as single seats or display pedestals. The collection lives physically split between the Concept Lab and DIALOG studios, acting as siblings tied together by their material origin.
The Computation
Repurposing rigid industrial waste into fluid, ergonomic forms requires an adaptive manufacturing workflow. Rhino and Grasshopper were used to generate the amorphous geometry and subdivide the overall volume into individual modular billets based on the available scrap sizes. To execute the complex surface curvature without relying on inefficient subtractive milling, an ABB 6-axis industrial robot was utilized. The CLT billets were mounted at a precise 45 degree angle, allowing the robot arm to carve the form in discrete 15mm steps. This strategic toolpathing optimized the milling time and left a deliberate, stepped texture on the final surface, serving as a transparent record of the digital fabrication process. This robotic workflow establishes a scalable, automated pipeline for upcycling mass timber cutoffs into architectural products.
Exhibitions & Collaborators
Showcased at Interior Design Show Vancouver 2024 and Design Vancouver Festival 2024. Collaborators include Brandon Sullivan, Bernhard Zarnitz, Stewart Burgess, Ryan McClanaghan, Robert Jackson, and Tobias Fast.
