Longhouses – by their very definition – are long, narrow building, usually containing a single communal space used for civic or group activities. The challenge in construction is spanning such a large distance with little or no disruption within the space so that the room remains as flexible and adaptable as possible. The team’s design uses a series of timber laminated veneer lumber (LVL) arches across the short section of the building to achieve this, with the arch’s thin-walled triangular profile providing optimum rigidity for the structure. A CNC manufactured prefabricated modular system is employed for the majority of its remaining elements, which makes for an overall efficient assembly, greatly reducing the time spent on-site. The expansive space created will be used in multiple different ways, including co-working, exercise classes, social mixers, exhibitions, dinner gatherings, and lectures.

Courtesy of MIT Mass Timber Design

Courtesy of MIT Mass Timber Design

Courtesy of MIT Mass Timber Design

At [a] moment when the built environment is faced with dramatic shifts, the need for energy-intelligent building prototypes is more significant than ever.

Mass timber’s recent growth in popularity can be largely attributed to its significant environmental benefits. The Longhouse design builds upon these qualities, designing not only a sustainable project but one that produces energy. The “sawtooth roof” is angled and orientated in such a way to maximize solar gains and daylight needs, while a low window-to-wall ratio maintains an efficient, insulated thermal envelope. The MIT Mass Timber Design team are committed to the further development and research of projects like this, continuing to explore “the future of sustainable buildings at the intersection of architecture and technology.”

Courtesy of MIT Mass Timber Design

Courtesy of MIT Mass Timber Design

• Architects
  

  MIT Mass Timber Design

• Research Scientist
  

  John Klein

• Design-Engineering Team
  

  John Fechtel, Paul Short, Demi Fang, Andrew Brose, Hyerin Lee, Alexandre Beaudouin-Mackay

• Engineering
  

  BuroHappold Engineering

• Collaborator
  

  Nova Concepts

• University
  

  MIT’s Department of Architecture

• Area
  

  680.0 m2

• Project Year
  

  2018

News via: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

• Architects

  MIT Mass Timber Design

• Research Scientist

  John Klein

• Design-Engineering Team

  John Fechtel, Paul Short, Demi Fang, Andrew Brose, Hyerin Lee, Alexandre Beaudouin-Mackay

• Engineering

  BuroHappold Engineering

• Collaborator

  Nova Concepts

• University

  MIT’s Department of Architecture

• Area

  680.0 m2

• Project Year

  2018