Method

It is time to start thinking about the method by which I will answer my research question. This method is highly informed by the fact that I want to know through what Japanese craftsmanship methods can I improve my own woodworking. In a dream project, this would involve me studying, executing, and implementing these methods in some way. Perhaps a series of chairs which each highlight a joinery technique, or a serial progression of a single chair in which one design evolves through the implementation of various techniques. These would gradually replace metal or glue joints and would allow for the chair to be deconstructed completely and reconstructed indefinitely.

This is a neat idea impacting the furniture and architecture industry, this focus on deconstruction, not destruction. If at the end of a building’s lifecycle it can be disassembled, not demolished, we could greatly improve recyclability of these building materials. With this notion in mind, I would like to look at how Japanese joinery aids in creating strong, disassembly-friendly furniture from wood. In the two entries below, there is information regarding the trend of deconstruction-conscious design.

Cutieru, Andreea. “A Guide to Design for Disassembly.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 10 July 2020, https://www.archdaily.com/943366/a-guide-to-design-for-disassembly.

This article is a great introductory piece with plentiful case studies focusing on designing for disassembly. This is good for orienting myself in the space of deconstruction, one I have not explored before, while most usefully identifying areas for further more detailed examination.

Design for Disassembly in the Built Environment: a Guide to Closed-Loop Design and Building. https://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/docs/DfDseattle.pdf. 

This highly detailed guide covers in great detail and with a large breadth, how to design for deconstruction of a building later in its life cycle. It not only punctuates the importance of this new practice, but the modes by which it can be optimized in a professional setting. This will give me further insight into potentially broader impacts for my inquiry.