Wikihouse: Floor Slice assembly

We spent about an hour assembling the Wikihouse floor slice we are testing. All is well and we will continue with a bigger build. This slice test was really just half of a floor section. We only attached a single floor panel so the framework underneath is exposed to show visitors.

Assembly was quick and we only had a few parts reversed.

What Did We Learn?

1. A set of assembly instructions would be nice. Otherwise, assemble the first section perfectly and use it as the standard to build to.

2. In creating our cut files, we grabbed elements from the SketchUp Maker Faire Pavilion plans. Now that we’ve assembled them, there are more unique parts than we first noticed. For example, there are 3 kinds of “feet”, the piece that usually joins the floor and ceiling while lifting the structure off the ground. There is a Deck Foot where the floor has no walls. There is an Exterior Foot that has a wall. Finally, there is a Adjacent Structure Foot that has an extended tab to join with another structure.

3. There are 2 types of floor panels. A Deck Floor Panel is longer than an Interior Floor Panel.

4. Since our test slice is a standalone structure, we should have cut 8 Connector Caps that partner with our Span:XX’s which provide the structure between the main fins. Without the caps, the gap remains open and de-stabilizes the fins. For a workaround, we used Spike Pegs to shim the beams in place until we cut proper Caps.

5. We need 2 C-Peg Locks. They join the main beams together at the S-Joint.

6. Some error in our export or conversion created a small glitch on one slot in our Span:AA and Span:BB parts. If we used both Floor Panels, we’d need to cut error out with a jigsaw.

7. We are considering shoring up the middle of the structure. From all the Wikihouse models we looked at, it seems they are missing a span in the middle between the main beams right where the two floor panels butt together. We call this a Span:YY and it slides over the main beams. At the same spot, we will also be adding a foot to the Span:AA and Span:BB to add more lateral support to the main beams. We may alter the Interior Floor Panel the accept a slot or design a new Span:YY that would accept a perpendicular piece to sit below and along the plywood seam in the Floor Panel.

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