One of the professional design/fabrication projects I was primarily responsible for was the Urbia Modular Interior system. Because the New York City code technically considered this system of prefabricated torsion-box wall, ceiling and floor panels to be furniture or interior partitions, we were able to design configurations and sizes otherwise unachieveable through typical construction. Our shop, in collaboration with OBRA Architects from New York City, designed, built and installed the system in two residential lofts and a children's library.
The system consists of a catalogue of sturdy plywood components that link together with custom fabricated bolt connections. The components were designed to be used in multiple locations, and each project uses the same components in different combinations. The construction and geometry of the standardized panels create bending strength along all three axes, making them able to resist loads along all sides and faces. The panels are composed of three main parts - faces, edges and interior ribs. The ribs are consistent between panels, the edges are uniquely drilled to connect to specific other panels, and the faces have holes to allow the installers to reach through and hand-tighten the connection hardware.
I assisted with the room layout design, and I was responsible for the modeling, programming and fabricating the panels themselves. The panels were milled, assembled and finished in out St. Paul, MN shop and shipped to the New York City sites. The design process taught me the importance of collaboration between firms, design coherence between software platforms and about project scheduling and responsibility.
