PARA-Project | MoMA / P.S.1 Young Architects Competition Geometric Rationalization

CASE provided technology consulting and geometric rationalization to PARA on their finalist entry for this renowned competition to construct a temporary installation in the courtyard of P.S. 1 during their annual summer program, Warm Up. PARA's proposal, entitled Stimulator, aimed to turn excess into resource by proposing an installation of mass, rather than of surface.

This mass, constructed of stacked, uncut, treated lumber, bundled together with nylon straps, uses no mechanical fasteners, which would allow for the lumber to be reused for various cultural, commercial, recreational and humanitarian purposes, in some cases simply as a raw material, and in others with the accrued cultural capital, from its role in the event.

In order to eliminate material waste from onsite cutting, CASE was brought in to write a custom script that would insure that all pieces of lumber were of nominal lengths. Beginning with a mass of lumber created to satisfy functional, programmatic and aesthetic concerns, the custom script would round and expand or contract each piece of lumber to the nearest nominal length. The script allowed for additional lengths to be added by PARA and for them to maintain control over which ends were allowed to change. The script also placed each length on separate layers, which streamlined structural analysis, constructability and cost estimation exercises.

Project Team

PARA-Project
Schlaich Bergermann and Partner
CASE Design
TBD Consultants
NY WasteMatch

All images courtesy of PARA-Project.