Nick Hamel: Recalibrating Rustic

When the intersection of a region’s local construction culture, material preferences and climate are studied, one will often find the presence of vernacular architecture. In the case of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, there lies many historical examples of vernacular, rooted in timber construction in response to a harsh mountain climate. This thesis not only seeks to uncover history of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Vernacular (CRMV) through field investigation, case study and literature review but to discuss its future as well. By looking to contemporary building practice, the thesis starts discussing its future by looking to the promising material supply chain of cross laminated timber (CLT) and exposing what prevents more architecture from being constructed from it right now. Finally, the thesis summarizes the development of a novel yet accessible parametric workflow that aims to guide architectural design towards the creation of cutting edge yet functional forms of vernacular architecture.

Nick Hamel's Instagram →
Nick Hamel's LinkedIn →