PoplyHouse, a patented system by the Ministry of Economic Development
Architect Lorena Alessio was in charge of the Canale Vigolungo Showroom&Offices project, an experimental project that explores the potential of poplar plywood for the construction of prefabricated structures.
The research carried out by the laa studio led to the design of a new construction joint – called PoplyHouse – which is intended to provide significant advantages in dry constructions.
laa adopted the new joint for the construction of a 160 square meter building, intended to house a large exhibition space and the offices of the Italian company E. Vigolungo S.p.A.
For the project, it was considered that poplar is a material that has many advantages and for this reason, during the experimentation phase, the use of a new joint without screws was proposed, but only with an interlocking system. Lightweight, with a light and shaded color, and easy to work with, this type of plywood has almost unique aesthetic characteristics and often superior to those of many panels made with other wood species. Poplar is a very sustainable material, not derived from the forest but from cultivation. Characterized by a short renewability cycle, poplar develops fully in about ten years and does not exhaust agricultural land. In addition, it is a plant species available on the national territory, which acts as a regulator of floods, bio-filter, and greenhouse gas mitigator.
CVC is therefore a project that addresses the themes of technological innovation combined with sustainable architecture, which aims to develop a building whose sustainability is maintained throughout the entire life cycle: from the production phase to the assembly phase.
This joint has been patented as PoplyHouse by the Ministry of Economic Development – General Directorate for the Protection of Industrial Property. It consists of two 25-millimeter poplar panels cut with a double dovetail and held together by a ‘comb’ that also joins the perpendicular plywood crosspiece. Double-panel bracing with an aluminum core present throughout the structure is also used. All this becomes the only structural element without cement, pillars, or laminated beams.
The other experimentation carried out during this project was to bring the whole thing into prefabrication, including the ceiling wall and floor foundation. To do this, cases were made with a plywood base and cover and then filled with wood fibers and beams so that they would become self-supporting. Thus, we had a dust-free construction site, and everything was set up in prefabrication for the ceiling, the interior linings and the flooring.
Architetto Lorena Alessio
The building is highly technological and offers a very comfortable indoor atmosphere, thanks to a very natural environment given by the use of poplar in all the components of the building. The project allows a strong connection with the outside, through views of green and hilly areas. Among the structural portals, a “library-wall” divides the showroom and offices, defining a visual continuity of materials and geometries. Orange-colored poplar plywood characterizes the kitchenette and bathroom. The use of prefabricated and interconnected elements guarantees great ease and speed of installation, assembly, and disassembly.
Another experiment was carried out for E. Vigolungo s.p.a. with a poplar plywood floor and a series of boiserie that closes and divides the showroom into different environments. All heating and air conditioning elements are hidden in the boiserie, as is the electrical system. The lamps are suspended with a cloud effect that ideally connects to the clouds passing in the sky. There is also an audiovisual wall structure and the possibility of transforming the space into a conference room. The external cladding is all in heat-treated poplar and, therefore, resistant to humidity and rain.
In addition to the external cladding made in prefabrication, beams were mounted on which slats were placed to create a ventilated wall. In this way, a micro-filter is formed inside between the external heat or cold and the internal environment. The aluminum cover is covered with photovoltaic panels, which, together with the wooden structure, allows the building to be in class A3, therefore extremely energy efficient.
A peculiarity of the project is that the distance between the two portals is exactly the standard width of the production line (252 x 187 cm) of a plywood panel, which allows for no waste in the creation of the semi-finished product that is worked on in the company. Other paneling has been created with a woody material produced by E. Vigolungo, with particular attention paid to optimizing the cutting process to avoid wood waste.
With this project, the company won an award from the ASS – Agency for Sustainable Development of Modena as a new sustainable building. E. Vigolungo has already commissioned architect Alessio for the construction of an 800 square meter two-story building to house offices, with construction set to begin in July 2023. Here, the new challenge will be to experiment with the construction of a two-story building with a poplar plywood supporting structure.
