Assignment – Cubes | Aalto University

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Assignment – Cubes

Published: 5.10.2023

For this exercise we made 200x200x200mm cubes of edge wood. Each student explored a property of the wood, or a woodworking technique like wood turning, bending, charring, carving and joining.

Through this assignment, wood properties and carpentry methods were explored. Additionally, it allowed us to familiarise ourselves with the workshop machinery, which we will be using much more over the course of the year.

Roundabout, Olle Björkebaum

A cube made of 16 individually shaped circular pillars, using lathe (woodturning). Outer pillars were cut to expose the different geometries that can be achieved through woodturning.

Wood cube made by rounding pieces and joining together to create a graphic outcome

Mutka, Matej Požega

Two types of wood meet at different points in one shape that is multiplied to produce a cube. More than that it is an exploration of curved and tapered elements as well as finding out own limits in the current woodworking skillset.

wood cube made by bending strips and gluing in square shape

Nauha, Daniel Sars

The result of experimentation with the process of wood bending. The oak strips were soaked in water, heated in a steam box and put in a square mould. This was dried in an oven before the mould was removed and the bent pieces glued together.

wood sculpture made of four pieces that slide together.

Tuulimylly, Kota Kawakami

Four wood pieces supporting each other. Handmade with chisel.

wood cube consisting of alternating cubes and spheres

Pallo, Meina Kobayashi

The softness and internal grain by carving the wood into a spherical shape create a contrast with the cube. Both the cube and the sphere are made of aspen wood.

cube consisting of 3 by 3 by 3 smaller cubes of different species

Nested cubes, Ishrat Tabassum

Geometry inspired by Rubik's cubes, the smaller cubes are each made of a different wood species to demonstrate their differences.

cube consisting of smaller wooden slats joined together

Halki Poikki Pinoon, Johanna Saarela

I chose to work with birch for my work because of its workability with small pieces. In my work, I focused especially on how wood behaves when small pieces and joints are made from it.

wood cube one half of which is rough edge wood, the other is more abstract consisting of square wood sections

Luonnolliset ja keinotekoiset, Wakana Ito

I selected wood pieces from the log with bark still attached, and started the design from there. The design shows the contrast between organic and artificial geometries.

wood sculpture consisting of different layers that are interlocked with wooden dowels

Kierre, Dimitris Kalogridis

The cube's surfaces depict a spiral. It studies how to connect separate elements by playing with tolerance.

cube consisting of different species of wood joined together with different joining methods

Liitokset, Juri Kikuchi

The cube is made of square sections joined by 7 different types of carpentry joint. The materials include oak and pine.

cube consisting of interlocking wooden pieces, japanese joint

Asunnon komponentit, Keitaro Tsubata

The cube consists of components that can be disassembled; three cubes are formed. A miniature of the same joint is placed upside down holding a last cube, completing the cubic geometry.

wooden cube with organically shaped carved void

Natura, Ville Mujunen

A cube made of solid aspen with a carved cavity.

cube with alternately oriented wooden boards, and a decorative knot on one side that resembles a flower

Kukka, Darya Belaya

On one side of the cube there is a flower, which is formed by a branch.

Only one material was used for production – birch. The top of the cube is removable. The two parts are joined by two birch dowels hidden inside.

cube consisting of interlocking layers, of three different species; half of which have been charred.

Punos, Simón Herrera Arévalo

Wood intertwined like a braid, using clever sliding geometry. Half of the pieces were charred to expose the differences in density and texture of the three species used.

cube resembling an hourglass, of two different species

Tiimalasi, Nao Fujimoto

The softness of wood is expressed in this cube made of pine and spruce, a study into workability and texture of the two species. The pieces are connected with dowels.

cube made of different species interlocking wooden pieces

Knot-mallisto, Yume Suzuki

Six tree nodes were selected and used to enclose the cube's six sides. Species include pine, elm, birch, alder, maple and oak.

cube consisting of different species timber, the amount used corresponding to the amount of forest of that species in Finland

Suomalainen metsä, Ayato Hokkyo

The cube is made of the three most prevalent species found in Finnish forests: pine, spruce and birch. The amount of wood used in the cube represents the percentages of those species in whole Finland.