WOOD CANOPIES

Spring 2021

Uic Soa Studio 206

Instructor: Paul Preissner

This project takes the common wood spline and expands upon its material application to create a material system that is used to loosely contain space and provide shelter. The material system is comprised of square wooden panels bound by a coiled rope spline. Combining these materials creates a ribbon of wood panels that adopt the flexibility of a textile while retaining the rigidity of wood.

This system’s proposed form folds wooden panels on either end of the ribbon to create columns with draped canopies between each column to provide shade, but this system is adaptable and allows one to create a large variety of forms.

Six panel systems arranged into a square, all pieces contain the same number of panels. Taller columns create shorter columns on the opposite side.

3” thick wooden panels provide adequate weight to give structure and fortitude. Rope provides tensile strength and flexibility

Rope is coiled into a spline and sewn together then secured to wood panels with wire stitched through holes in each panel.

Reflected Ceiling Plan