La Voûte de LeFevre

La Voûte de LeFevre is a mashup of ancient stereotomic vault construction with contemporary computation and advanced fabrication. The vault is a compression-only structure calculated through a custom simulation program to determine how large each units opening should be in order to adjust its mass in relation to its neighbors. The project translates past methods of fabrication into contemporary culture. The purpose of this research is not to revert to an ‘antiquated architecture’, but to reengage a problem that may be unfamiliar in contemporary culture. This terrain produces something new, an architecture that is somehow ancient yet contemporary, heavy yet light, familiar yet alien.

Further Information on La Voûte de LeFevre can be found in our publication 'Range'.


Credits

year: 2012
location: Columbus Ohio
site: Banvard Gallery: Knowlton School of Architecture
client: LeFevre Fellowshipsize: 15’ X 20’
material: Baltic Birch Plywood
principal: Brandon Clifford + Wes McGee
project team: Jake Haggmark \ Maciej Kaczynski \ Aaron Willette
build team: Edgar Ascaño \ Kristy Balliet \ Katherine Bennette \ Beth Blostein \ Jenna Bolino \ Chris Carbone \ Tim Cousino \ Anthony Gagliardi \ Brian Koehler \ Darwin Menjivar \ Paul Miller \ Tony Nguyen \ Bart Overly \ Aaron Powers \ Steve Sarver \ Katy Viccellio \ Sean Zielinski
acknowledgements: Project funding by the Howard E. LeFevre ‘29 Emerging Practitioner Fellowship / Fabrication support by the University of Michigan TCAUP FABLab / Nesting Software provided by TDM Solutions