i.M.A.D.E » Archive » Bodhi Tree

i.M.A.D.E encourages design students to focus on the creation of unique prototypes based on material interrogations and market viability. Students are actively developing business plans and exploring commercial outlets for design prototypes based on emphasizing the production of ready-made, yet customizable products. Indiana has a long tradition of producing hardwood veneer from regionally harvested trees. Made of Indiana Hardwood veneer, the “Bodhi Tree” highlights some of the more subtle properties of hardwood. The thinness of veneer allows wood to bend, twist, and glow—revealing latent and innate qualities of thinly sliced wood. These qualities are exploited in projects that reveal the “light/lighter” qualities of this typically “heavy” material.

Using a hand-assembled notch/slip joint system, the “Bodhi Tree” was formed from self-similar laser cut veneer components with no hardware. The curvature and tension of twisting the veneer strengthened each unit to form a stable and resilient lattice. The overall assembly and geometry resulted from a self-organized form-finding experiment, which led to the creation of gradients of variegated densities, strengths, and geometries of light-catching surfaces. The resulting mesh was used to define space and filter light in an otherwise stark interior environment.

Faculty:
Steven Deters; Lecturer, UCLA + Fall 2008 i.M.A.D.E Fellow
Kevin Klinger

Student Team:
Deepak Baniya
Elizabeth Boone
Eric Brockmeyer
Adam Buente
Dustin Headley
Kyle Perry
Priyanshu Shrivastava

Partners:
David R. Webb Company
Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association