Observing is a CNC fabricated, plywood shelter whose playful form is designed for observing the forest in which it is located. It was designed and constructed for the IKEA H22 festival alongside two additional shelters. Together, these shelters serve to evoke childhood feelings of curiosity and excitement through physical engagement.
Each of the three total shelters were designed and prototyped by two students over a two-semester research course, instructed by Larry Sass who runs the Digital Design Fabrication Group at MIT. These shelters are composed of solely planar components, held together through mortise & tenon joints (and "dog-bones" along the visible faces). No glue or nails required!
The final designs were assembled on-site in Helsingborg, Sweden over the course of 5 days in June 2022. Observing has since been moved to a permanent location in the forest after its 5-week exhibition.
Professor Larry Sass
Collaborators: Seif Eses, Nina Huttemann, Stephanie Li, Erica Liu, Myles Sampson, Isabel Waitz
Spring 2022
Initial graphics produced by Larry Sass