Mona Lisa wood Pavillon: optimization and parametric design by using poplar plywood

The paper illustrates the results of an interdisciplinary work flow concerning the design and construction of a prefabricated structure using poplar plywood. The study, promoted by Politecnico and University of Torino, is related to the development of a local wood resource focussing on the most traditional and important panel in Italy which, from a consolidated position in the furniture market, is now searching potential and innovative applications especially in the building sector, where the use of modern wooden materials is growing quickly. The Mona Lisa Wood Pavillon investigates the wood design issue from three main points of view. First, the structure is part of the promotion path of poplar plywood, conceptualizing its manufacturing process in an architectural project; then it highlights the role of technology by using an engineered veneer-based product with interesting properties; finally it explores the role of digital design in exploiting the potentialities of the material, in particular through a parametric approach which permits the optimization of design and construction. The project was carried out thanks to the joined efforts of complementary sectors and to the coordinated work of architects, engineers and wood experts. The resulting architecture was built on the occasion of the 2012 Made Expo event, with the patronage of the Italian woodworking associations Federlegno, Assopannelli and Conlegno, together with the technical contribution of several industrial companies, which have sustained this research with the aim of developing a manifesto for a better knowledge of poplar plywood.