Matt Woods takes pride in "designing for deconstruction," which involves creating spaces and buildings that can easily be broken down at the end of a project. This philosophy is influenced by the high turnover rate in the hospitality industry, where Woods frequently works. He considers factors such as materials and functional elements that can be easily dismantled, such as using screws instead of nails or glues. Woods also focuses on reusing materials from past projects and collaborating with recycling companies to minimize waste.
A strong sense of style can transcend just about any design challenge, whether it be project type, budget, materiality, or sustainable considerations. Woods, the one-man team behind the Killing Matt Woods studio, certainly has that transcendent sense of style.
An award-winning designer based in Sydney, Australia, Woods has established a reputation as one of the most exciting designers in the industry, with outlets like The New York Times Style Magazine: Australia highlighting his eco-conscious designs and thoughtful aesthetics. He has won awards like Best Residential Project in the 2020 Dulux Color Awards, Designer of the Year for the 2011 Design Excellence Awards, and many more honors.
What Is He Doing Right? Behold, “Designing for Deconstruction”
An industrial designer by training, Woods calls his guiding philosophy “designing for deconstruction.”
According to Woods, this approach, in its simplest sense, is “a way of designing [spaces and buildings] in a way that they can be broken down or deconstructed at the end of a project.” The design philosophy stems from the high turnover rate of businesses in the hospitality industry, a market for which Woods frequently designs.
These considerations can be based on materials, like using lime mortar over cement mortar in brickwork, or around certain functional elements that are easier to be broken down. This can be as simple as fastening building elements with screws instead of nails or glues, or in the case of a newer project, a modular ceiling structure. “We’re experimenting on how we can reconnect and disconnect a ceiling structure. It’s a 500 square-meter space with this massive ceiling; it could potentially be quite wasteful,” he said.
Woods can take materials from past projects and reuse them for new ones, or, recently, he’s been working with recycling companies in the Sydney area who come in and take building materials and use them for other projects. In some cases, he also connects with these recycling companies for materials on different projects, creating a symbiotic relationship.
“The construction industry is well known for being one of the most wasteful industries around, so I’m just trying to do my little bit,” he said.
For those designers who are also trying to do their “little bit,” Woods gave three pieces of advice when it comes to designing for deconstruction:
- Focus on detail: “Any lack of detail in your design leads to builders making assumptions, and you can rest assured these assumptions won’t favor a deconstruction methodology.”
- Threaded fasteners are your friend: “Create non-permanent joints wherever possible. A screw or a bolt is better than a nail or glue.”
- Become mates with the builder: “Having a good relationship with the principal contractor or project manager can be more important than your relationship with the client; having an open dialogue about what can and can’t be done will only benefit a project.”
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The Vectorworks Advantage: Woods’ Software of Choice
Woods has been using Vectorworks design software for nearly 20 years, and it’s the only digital design software he uses. The designer praises the “flexibility” of the software for working in a hybrid 2D and 3D environment.
He uses Vectorworks templates and symbols at the start of his project, which help him maintain a visual standard and control over 2D and 3D visuals. Using these standards, he’s able to easily repeat his approaches and carry detail over from project to project.
Woods also uses Vectorworks for the modular designs and considerations when “designing for deconstruction.” The previously mentioned ceiling structure, for example, was planned with Vectorworks’ drawing tools.
To learn more about Vectorworks, visit their landing page.
