Entrant:
Jayson Su, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University Of Wellington
Category:
01. Student Design Award
Photographed by:
David Hensel
Overview
Mobilising Aotearoa: Splicing Kigumi with Transportable Housing
This project investigates how traditional Japanese timber joinery (kigumi) can inform the design of low-carbon, transportable housing for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Developed as a Master of Architecture (Professional) thesis, the project explores how timber-only structural connections can be integrated within prefabricated modular housing to reduce reliance on metallic fixings, improve disassembly potential, and support circular construction practices, promoting decarbonisation within New Zealand’s building and construction sector.
New Zealand’s housing sector faces dual challenges: delivering efficient, adaptable housing while reducing embodied carbon in construction. The project addresses these challenges by combining transportable modular architecture with strategies derived from traditional Japanese carpentry. Prefabrication facilitates higher construction precision, reduced site waste, and faster delivery, while transportable modules allow buildings to be relocated, extended, or adapted over time rather than demolished.
The design proposes a modular housing system composed of transportable timber units structured using interlocking kigumi joints. These connections eliminate many conventional metal fasteners, instead relying on precisely crafted timber interfaces that can be assembled, disassembled, and repaired. This approach aligns with circular economy principles and design-for-disassembly strategies, extending the potential lifespan and adaptability of the housing system.
Timber was selected as the primary material for both environmental and architectural reasons. As a renewable, bio-based material, timber stores carbon and supports lower-emission construction compared with conventional materials. Structurally, timber’s strength-to-weight ratio makes it well-suited to prefabricated transportable modules where weight and handling are critical factors.
Several locally available timber species were investigated and tested throughout the research process. These explorations informed the material strategy and structural proportions. The modular system’s design exposes timber structure in both interior and exterior spaces. Macrocarpa was adopted as the primary structural material for its visual character, structural equivalence to radiata pine, and natural durability. Engineered pine products such as LVL, plywood and I-joists were utilised as structural elements, concealed within floor and roof panels, providing dimensional stability and improving strength-to-weight ratio.
A 1:1 structural prototype was constructed to test the feasibility of integrating kigumi joints within a transportable modular system and showcase key architectural intent of the system’s design. The prototype demonstrates how specifically devised timber-only connections can provide structural integrity while allowing the building to be dismantled and reassembled, reinforcing the project’s circular design intent.
Beyond structural performance, timber contributes significant aesthetic value to the project. The exposed joinery celebrates craftsmanship and material honesty, creating a warm and natural architectural expression. By combining traditional joinery logic with contemporary prefabrication methods, the project proposes a future-focused timber architecture that is both technically viable and culturally meaningful.
Ultimately, the project demonstrates how timber can enable adaptable, transportable housing systems that reduce embodied carbon while celebrating the architectural potential of wood.