It's rare to see plywood being used as both the structural material and the aesthetic finish material in a building. But this collaboration between Noji Architects and Oikos Furniture does exactly that.

VERSATILE PLYWOOD

Plywood is such a versatile and brilliant material. Often when used in a construction instance, it will be twinned with construction grade lumber. Large, seven-to-nine inch wide timbers will be used structurally while plywood will then be used as racking. It's the standard way of doing things. But there's nothing standard about this "Scale of Ply" extension.

From Noji Architects:

This remodel and extension of a Victorian house in Dublin 4 uses plywood as a primary and secondary structural material to replace an aged conservatory that acted as the main light source for the ground floor. The prefabricated plywood structure allows for a series of interconnecting triangular plains positioned to allow light deep into the plan as the sun moves through the day. The return of the house is supported on a glulam beam which in turn frames the diagrid structure as the kitchen ceiling. 

LEARNING OPPORTUNITY

This type of creativity brings such a unique and interesting living space to life. For woodworkers it is inspiring to see extraordinary applications of a material like plywood. Admiring this project allows us to get our own creative brains working, and to start imagining all of the ways we can put plywood to use in a similar way—but with a different application. It is how we learn and improve our skills. I think this personal growth & development is something any woodworker aspires to.

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