Alder Architects

Focussing on the characteristics of wood, the exhibition explored the act of transformation across the life cycle of the material. The theme chosen by the curators aimed to frame this process; from extraction to transportation, standardisation to encapsulation and eventual disassembly for potential reuse.

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In seeking out the unique traits of timber, the aim was to question how industry and construction can learn from and be shaped by the materials inherent qualities. Whether a building site is next to a forest or not, timber used in construction has been subjected to an industrial decision-making process that dictates its final physical properties. In this act of translation, where wood is often treated similarly to other inanimate materials, a tree's uniqueness is sacrificed for transportability, structural consistency and usability.

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Our process of investigation began with the pairing of Irish and Estonian practices located some 3000km apart; a collaboration involving its own acts of translation and logistics. Following a series of lectures by architects, industry, academics and thinkers, each pair were provided with a timber shipping box to initiate a dialogue. This was an invitation from the curators to change cadence from the immediacy of modern communication to a potentially more considered exchange of ideas in physical form.

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The response of the paired practices to the curatorial brief and process has taken the form of eight exhibits.