The Archistream is a traveling educational exhibit/teaching tool that aims to provide a public face for architecture within the state of Vermont. By repurposing a 1969 Globetrotter Airstream trailer as a 'vehicle for communication', this mobile teaching device promotes architecture in a rural state. Teamed with AIA VT, a Norwich University School of Architecture and Art Design + Build team consisting of Assistant Professor Tolya Stonorov and 10 undergraduate students gutted and redesigned this iconic trailer.
At a mere 120 square feet, every inch of the Archistream is functional, intermeshing form and reason. The interior is programmatically separated into three zones: work + meeting zone, resource + display zone, and communal sitting zone. Design and fabrication process were largely digital, using tools such as a CNC router, laser cutter and 3-D printer. The CNC-routed plywood waffle construction allows for graceful changes in elevation, sitting, working and storage. The construction method emphasized a cohesive unit that was clearly a new construction placed within an existing shell. The vertical ribs of the waffle structure are a direct reference to the construction of the original Airstream trailer and are representative of the new possibilities of digital fabrication. Outdoor seating is constructed in a similar waffle construction method and can be integrated with other pieces to form tables or benches. When in motion, seating is flipped and becomes storage. Local, sustainable materials were used throughout; FSC certified Maple Euro-Multiply, Eco Resin, LED lighting and Felt floor tiles.
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