Shear Madness
by Jeff Gow
The idea behind the project was to take something ordinary, like a box, and manipulate it in such a way that it allowed for unique spaces and interesting apertures. Secondly, a unique and compelling structural system had to be designed to both assist the formal qualities of the project an to stand on its own as a compelling structural idea.
The end result is a project seemingly divided into four sections, wrapped entirely with a steel truss and metal panel system, so that wall become floor and floor becomes wall. The spaces are organized so that they are sheared past one another, giving the viewer the ability to look into several different spaces at once.
This model was built using 1/16 inch thick plywood, which was cut on a laser-cutter. (This design won first place in the ACSA/AISC Museum of Steel Competition.)
Photo by Jeff Junker