The Wooden Waves

The Wooden Waves-Burohappold Engineering

Arthur Mamou-Mani and BuroHappold

The Wooden WavesThe Wooden Waves is an architectural installation suspended in the 17 and 71 Newman Street entrance spaces of BuroHappold Engineering’s London offices to provide a visual link between the two.[1]

The Wooden WavesThis functional art piece celebrates global engineering practice BuroHappold’s multiple innovations in the field of complex gridshell and other timber structures and was designed in collaboration with Mamou-Mani Architects and BuroHappold.

The Wooden WavesThis ingenious installation has been recognised for “demonstrating that complex forms may be achieved through application of innovative engineering” with a Gold Award from the American Architecture Awards 2016. It stands out as an exemplar of digital design and fabrication, and shows that form doesn’t always trump function.[2]

The Wooden WavesNot only is this installation highly decorative – it also works hard within the space, as an acoustic baffle, feature lighting and as a phase changer comfort moderator, perfect for evening functions and events in the reception areas.

The Wooden WavesToday, with the advent of digital design and fabrication tools, we can revisit these ideas and develop them at an even faster pace using prototyping, computer programming and simulations.

The Wooden WavesThis project is the direct result of that evolution. With a fabrication lab located within our studio and connected to our own computer codes, we are able to directly link our design process with the craft required to create the pieces.

The Wooden WavesThis pushes the design, material and machines to their very limit. The Wooden Wave, as an example of this approach, took at least one hundred prototypes to evolve into its final form.

The Wooden WavesThis approach results in a synthesis between architecture, engineering and craft, creating a unique and non-standard piece with the complexity of what masterbuilders could achieve with stone but with modern days tools, processes and materials.

  1. The Wooden WavesTHE WOODEN WAVES – BUROHAPPOLD ENGINEERING/https://mamou-mani.com/project/wooden-waves/
  2. Weirdly Wonderful Wooden Waves Ceiling Wins Gold Medal/https://www.burohappold.com/news/weirdly-wonderful-wooden-waves-ceiling-wins-gold-medal/

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