Less material, greater adaptability

SPLAM [SPatial LAMinated timber] is a full-scale prototype of a single-story structural framing system used in mid-rise, fire-resistant construction. Lighter in weight than conventional building framing methods, spatial-laminated timber, or SLT, reduces material use by 46 percent compared to a traditional cross-laminated timber panel. It achieves this by making use of shorter 2x4s that interlock to create an optimized dimensional layout. This layout can be infinitely modified to suit the structural demands of a building’s form or functional needs, becoming denser where the lattice needs to accommodate heavier loads, and more sparse in non-load-bearing areas.

The product of a multi-year creative collaboration between SOM and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the SPLAM pavilion demonstrates a solution that could dramatically reduce timber consumption and overall carbon footprint if used to construct an entire building.

A sustainable model for timber construction

The design team chose timber for its sustainable qualities, particularly as a renewable resource that has the capacity to sequester carbon, compared to conventional concrete or steel. Since SPLAM comes together using interlocking timber joints and shorter panels, the timber can be salvaged from demolished structures or sourced from more rapidly renewable forests.

SLT systems come together quickly and efficiently; the 412 SLT panels used to construct SPLAM were robotically fabricated in Taubman College’s Fabrication Lab over the course three weeks and assembled on site by a two-person crew in a few days.

Scaling the system still allows for a sustainable alternative to conventional design and construction methods—the ubiquity of 2x4s and the ease and accessibility of sourcing this material locally, combined with the efficiency and precision of the robotic fabrication process, further reduces material, transportation and construction costs, as well as labor time required onsite.

Beyond the Biennial

SPLAM is a permanent addition to EPIC Academy’s South Shore campus, one of Chicago’s most innovative high schools. Unveiled on September 17, 2021, at the opening of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, the pavilion hosted a series of performances during the Biennial and now functions as an outdoor classroom and performance venue for the school and surrounding community. Through this project, the design team and EPIC Academy hope to change the pedagogy around teaching and learning, activated by open, flexible and vibrant spaces such as the SPLAM pavilion.

SPLAM was designed and constructed in partnership with Autodesk, McHugh Construction, Gremley & Biedermann, and REX Engineering Group.