A Forest Datum

Project Info

A Forest Datum is a physical manifestation of an imaginary line drawn between the forest and the sea, ending at the Jurassic Coast 12.5km south.

It contracts the verticality of the forest and explores the architectural potential of crown timber – small, forking beech branches sourced from high in the canopy. These branches, typically considered waste, are inherently strong due to their geometry. The project uses a bespoke, low-tech jig to locate each unique branch within a repeatable structural cell. This jig encodes the cell’s parameters and guides a sequence of bandsaw cuts, allowing precise placement of irregular pieces.

The timber is sourced through pruning – a forestry practice that improves tree health – or as a by-product of harvesting. By repurposing this undervalued material, the project challenges conventional timber supply chains and repositions technology in timber architecture.

The structure is lightweight, demountable and assembled without permanent fixings. Dyneema cables tension the system, enabling it to work in compression and allowing for rapid assembly and disassembly. Making innovative use of the inherent strength of natural-growth timber forks, this experimental structure is a radical intervention that knits healthy woodland stewardship with practical applications.

Design + Make 23-25 Students: Yan Chen, Yonger Chen, Paola Gonzalez Ferreiro, Seongsoo Han, Alejandra Marcovich, Kavana Irappa Pujar, Ramtin Taherian, Mingxin Yang, Ramsey Young

Design + Make Staff: Kate Davies, Emmanuel Vercruysse, William Gowland, James Solly, Wyatt Armstrong, Sam Turner Baldwin