“The diversity of timber in Alvar Aalto's architecture: forests, shelter and safety”, by Teija Isohauta

Reading aligned with lecture: 
   Modern-form makers: Dahhinden, Meier, Candela, Calatrava, Ultzon, Tony Hunt, Peter Rise.
25/02/2015

Personal summary of reading: “The diversity of timber in Alvar Aalto's architecture: forests, shelter and safety”, by Teija Isohauta 

Alvar Aalto’s home country helped to landscape his future through timber. This material played a vital role for his upbringing as its was used for buildings, heat sources, furniture, footwear, textiles and paper. His early work as an architect mostly dealed with timber, through tradition and because of the practice he was at. He worked with timber through the classical tradition as well as being inspired by classicism.

Rural log building’s simplistic forms as well as exhibition buildings intrigued Aalto. Temporary structures allowed him to explore and trial new ideas, materials, add construction techniques that led to Aalto bending metal in which he then began testing upon timber. Further more organic forms inspired him and nature was a big influence upon his concepts.

I enjoy that Aalto explored his ideas through temporary structures; in a similar manner as I do at university but for design through sketch models. I also admire that he stuck to mostly using timber yet he didn’t just accept the form it came in naturally, he would explore and push the biologic properties to create organic and exciting forms. Timber is a beautiful material in architecture and I would like to use Aalto’s works as precedents in the future for there suppleness and clean finish but also the amount of detail that goes into his works to create the final outcome.

Photo reference: http://www.studiointernational.com/index.php/alvar-aalto-library-in-vyborg-saving-a-modern-masterpiece