Training for Architects

Following a year of planning we found ourselves deep inside the cinnamon forests of Sumatra, prepared to design and make a sustainable cinnamon school for local maqui berry farmers and employees.

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Cassia Coop Training Center has turned into a unique center with ambitions to be much better than its rivals, not just in qualty, but first of all in ethics. The center desires to set a brand new standard in how you can operate a socially well functioning enterprise local maqui berry farmers and employees will get proper payment, a good health care program and get access to schools and education. Additionally, the industrial facilities of Cassia Coop is going to be sanitary and safe.

The primary idea behind the work may be the classic consept of the light wooden construction on the base of heavy brick and concrete. The wooden construction gives a sense of being inside a cinnamon forest. Cassia Coop Training Center is made around a set of mighty durian trees, having a scenic look at the gorgeous Kerinci-lake right in front with its back towards lush cinnamon forest. A significant challenge is to produce a naturally ventilated climate beneath a roof covering the surface of believe it or not than 600 square meters. Understanding and experience acquired in former projects have greatly assisted us in accomplishing this, by using thermal mass, decrease in sunrays and at the maximum eaves.

© Pasi Aalto The work is principally built from using two materials in your area crafted brick and also the trunk from the cinnamon tree. The trunks really are a by-product in the cinnamon production and contains a minimal status one of the local people. This low status, however, appear quite undeserved, and thus we made a decision to make use of the trunks in from the primary construction towards the interior from the center. The finesse of workmanship available on, among other activities, the doorways and home windows from the center, is probably the most impressive we've observed throughout our projects.

The primary construction includes a mass created Y-pillar, bolted lower right into a concrete footing. The positioning from the support beams subordinates towards the floor-plans, as the system from the construction obtains rigidity and rigidity. Beneath the massive roof surface we discover five brick structures, among them a little laboratory, classes, offices along with a kitchen.

Inside a project of the size, having a short time-frame of three several weeks, logistics will show itself among the major challenges. With 70 employees participating, eight water buffaloes carrying trees in the forest as well as an on-site sawmill, project management software becomes essential. The whole project consists of ten simple particulars. Fundamental and practical method of design managed to get easy to realize this project by having an inexperienced labor force.

Another major challenge of creating in this region may be the frequent earthquakes. The development has made it several quakes reaching over five around the Richters scale. This proves that the thought of separating different building components with various material frequency works. Cassia Coop Training Center has transpired the exam from the forces of character. Hopefully and believe it will likewise fulfil its ambition of giving the neighborhood maqui berry farmers and employees a secure, sanitary and socially sustainable place of work.