Samlinger
The exhibition Samlinger showcases the architectural studio Thi Dencker’s investigative work at the intersection of architecture and research. The exhibition communicates the core of their practice – seeking inspiration for sustainable construction in traditional building techniques and updating this knowledge to align with contemporary production methods – conveyed in a tactile and tangible way through their extensive model work.
The title, Samlinger (which translates to Joints or Assemblies), refers both to the exhibition’s focus on full-scale timber joints and to the collection of the studio’s models, which as a whole express their fundamental methodology. The scale models from previous projects all use wood as a primary structural element, with several exploring rammed earth as an updated, modern building material.
The Model as Method. The exhibition Samlinger consists of the studio’s methodical model experiments. Models in varying scales from 1:100 to 1:1 bear witness to explorations in process and spatiality, studies of tactility and materiality—iterative processes that allow for the emergence of the unpredictable. They utilize the intuitive possibilities that arise from the careful work with physical models to explore a project’s potential. Questions of tectonics, craftsmanship, material properties, and gravity become very tangible early in the process. The unforeseen quickly becomes visible. And in the context of an exhibition, this becomes a generous way of inviting the public into their thinking, universe, and material choices.
“Models have the unique quality of belonging to the physical world and are by nature an abstraction, allowing us to sense and interpret the architecture we imagine.”
– Linda Thi and Mikkel Dencker
The Intersection of Practice and Research. Thi Dencker collaborates with research institutions and manufacturers to develop new building systems inspired by traditional construction methods. The exhibition features their latest investigations, exemplified by a 1:1 timber structure and a series of open wood joints at full scale, produced specifically for TIL:VÆRKS and crafted by Morten Winther (Winther A/S Master Carpenters and Joiners).
The investigation into traditional wood joinery is based on the research of Architect MAA and Associate Professor Søren Vadstrup and forms the foundation for an ongoing joint study of how traditional wooden joints can be adapted to the modern construction industry.