Timber Digest is a research-based design exploration in the Black Rock Forest. Our findings result in a mass timber education center with a DLT (Dowel Laminated Timber) factory for local supply. The two primary programs are placed on two sides of the road to avoid circulation contradiction and are connected with an overhead bridge. The word digestion has three layers of meanings: diet, wood, and knowledge. The human body’s digestive system is very similar to the production of DLT, and knowledge is key to sustaining a healthy diet and seeing the potential to turn waste into valuable products. First, we invented the DLT beam structure. The I profile allows the beams to interlock, creating a reciprocal frame beam grid. Then, Chinese traditional Dou Gong inspired us to develop a bracket system with DLT I-beam that connected the column and the beam grid. The depth of I-beams allows for gradual slopes towards the roof, so the roof can also tilt along with the Terrain and shed water. The structure spreads fluid along the terrain lines, while the floors are elevated from the ground to be least disruptive to the ground ecosystem.
