AA Summer Pavilion

The 2006 AA Summer Pavilion was the first of four summer pavilions built by Intermediate Unit 2 at the AA under Charles Walker and Martin Self.  The brief challenges the standard way that student work is assessed at the school by presenting a finished piece of work, completed by a team of students, in front of examiners instead of the usual individual portfolio.  The pavilion is Simon Whittle’s design, winner of a competition within the unit.  The Project Manager was Hiro Toyoshima and the Workshop Manager was Jesse Randzio.

 

Based on the proportions of the golden mean, a fractal pattern of repeating flanges and beams spirals outward from the top of the structure into the smallest leaves.  Generation 0 is the top beam and flanges parallel to the ground just below the canopy.  Some manipulation of the basic script allows the third generation flange to extend downward into the ground, where they act as the structural legs of the pavilion.  All structural elements (generations 0-3), including their interlocking slots, were cut using hand tools by Jesse Randzio and Hiro Toyoshima in the Hooke Park Workshop.  All decorative elements (generations 4-9) were first cut by CNC machine and table saw, and then slotted on a bandsaw using jigs designed and built by Jesse.  Finnforest provided the timber for the structure.  Arup AGU were project engineers.