Programmed-In: Kiln Canopy Design for Manufacture and Assembly Project at the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL
Programmed-In: Kiln Canopy is a canopy providing shelter for loading and unloading the kilns at Flimwell park. It is a collaborative project between the Flimwell Kiln team, Flimwell Park and local community members. Socially, the canopy provides a site for a unique type of knowledge share between professional, educational, and local stakeholders through the firing of ceramics. Kiln Canopy explores the possibilities of designing and manufacturing complex double-curved structures from planar nodes and chords. Once assembled, these apparently simple planar components generate the requisite complexity of a double curvature surface. The complexity of the overall system is addressed by the detailing of the chord-to-node joint and the design of the assembly sequence. By managing these interdependent factors at the design and prototyping stage, the proposed structure forms a kit-of-parts that enables self-builders to easily assemble the canopy. This approach can empower educational and participatory activities, thus leading to more sustainable and resilient communities. Such a culture has now been embedded in the very soil of Flimwell Park by a diverse team of collaborators.
