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Architects: Moradavaga
- Year: 2012
"In a scenario in which the economic and social challenges are increasingly complex, there are increasingly more architects who begin their professional practice outside of a traditional context. This means that they start their own projects, raise funds to carry them out, trading places to implement legislation that would allow their construction. This reality challenges the traditional structures of the practice (...) of architecture. "
in M. Pestana (May-August 2013), The Spontaneous Architect, Jornal Arquitectos nº 247
SWING is the title of an experimental project conceived by the Moradavaga collective under the Pop Up Culture program sponsored by the European Capital of Culture - Guimarães 2012.
It is an interactive, temporary installation (halfway between architecture, industrial design, and artwork) based on the (green) principle of swing to produce electricity, with the intention of also functioning as an ode to the rich industrial heritage of Guimarães, reflecting in its mechanical devices and evocative sounds, those once produced in the ancient city of factories.
The base platform (4844mm x 11230mm), consists almost entirely of wood, to serve as a podium for a structure of swings while containing the hidden electrical system. Traditional hemp rope, chains, wheels, dynamos, bicycle lights, concrete weights and even accessories and metal screws complete the range of colors of the materials used in the construction.
In addition to responding to the immediate function of the playful and didactic program, the intention of the project was to develop and test a construction system based on the standardization and prefabrication of elements that can be easily assembled / disassembled and transported.
In this sense, the choice of the wood Euro-Pallet (1200 mm x 800 mm) as the main building block emerged as the natural result of its seamless integration with existing systems of logistics and transport.
In addition to rely on its inherent modularity, we also use raw components (beams and national pine wood slats) in its production, thus exploiting the whole production chain associated with the production of such strategies. The development of an integrated system in which the building module dissolves in the project, achieving a perfect harmony between the various elements of the composition.
Taking advantage of the logistical support of the company Palsystems -. Pallets and Packaging Ltd, it was possible to assemble and test the elements of Moradavaga in the warehouse, to disassemble, transport and place them on site, the Platform of Arts and Creativity of Guimarães, within a week.
Again, the choice of wood as a building material proved right because, in our opinion, GIRO could establish during its short stay in the square, a contrasting and aesthetically attractive dialogue with the high technology metal facades and impeccable glass building designed by Atelier Pitágoras Arquitectos.
As it was an ephemeral project, the sustainability factor also entered the project equation, ensuring recycling / reuse of most of the elements used in the construction and the reintegration of the pallets in the used circuit.
Construction Process
As this is an ephemeral construction, several factors were taken into account in the design.
Therefore, the idealized solutions focused on process of standardization and prefabrication in order to respond effectively to the need for easy installation, removal and transport of the different components of the building.
We also took into account aspects related to the sustainability of the intervention, the adoption of construction techniques that allow a rapid disassemble of the project and reuse of its various elements. Therefore, the use of screws instead of adhesive for fastening the different parts and the option to apply the wood without any finishing, makes it reusable for different purposes. Furthermore, the minimum intervention on the Euro-used allows their reintroduction into the circuit of used pallets, ensuring the continuity of the life cycle.
Construction elements (wood):
48 local pine wood Europallets (1200mm x 800mmm)
22 local pine wood pieces (4800mm x 100mm x 22mm)
6 local pine wood pieces (3745mm x 144mm x 22mm)
2 local pine wood pieces (4844mm x 144mm x 22mm)
11 local pine wood pieces (4800mm x 100mm x 60mm)
10 local pine wood pieces (2400mm x 100mm x 60mm)
4 local pine wood pieces (1876mm x 100mm x 60mm)
4 local pine wood pieces (600mm x 100mm x 180mm)
16 local pine wood pieces (2500mm x 100mm x 22mm)
16 local pine wood pieces (1895mm x 100mm x 22mm)
