Seth McDowell Architect, pllc

Much of the finishes and details in a building are there for the purpose of hiding the gaps that exist at the intersections of materials and building elements (floors/walls/ceilings/roofs). Contemporary construction techniques often depend upon the layering of materials to accommodate material diversity. This allows for a layering of tolerances and precision as well. The first layer (a frame) is rough, the second layer (sheathing) is more precise, and the third layer (finish) is highly exact. In this studio students examined this condition of tolerance and precision. We asked, how does the architect control tolerance? How can the architect design tolerance? These questions will inform strategies for material, construction, program, form and space.

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This research studio at the University of Virginia studied the ubiquitous building material of wood through the design and construction of a small pavilion on the A-School grounds. The 1:1 design and building phase of the studio occurred during a month-long workshop led by Robertson Professors Dagur Eggertson and Sami Rintala of rintala eggertson architects. During this workshop students worked in small teams to design and construct a series of mobile, lightweight elements using basic hand tools. The project served as an A-School artifact for the Fall Bicentennial celebrations and had a spatial and programmatic narrative surrounding tolerance and diversity.

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Following the construction exercise, students closely examined, measured and documented how levels of material tolerance impacted the performance of the structure. In a reversal of typical architectural procedures, student teams generated precise, coordinated, measured drawings of post-construction.