"La Mariée Japonaise" Pavilion

From digital modeling to physical fabrication at the 2014 Solar Decathlon

[!SUMMARY]

Role	3D Modeler, Technical Draftsman, Fabricator
Tools	AutoCAD, Illustrator, Rhino3D, Construction tools
Skillset	3D Visualization, Technical Documentation, Physical Construction

Context

In late 2014, as part of the broader Solar Decathlon event hosted in Versailles, our class group was commissioned to contribute a small pavilion to serve as an art installation and resting area for visitors.

The core design concept was a shaded seating area visually inspired by traditional Japanese bridal headpieces, which gave the project its name: "La Mariée Japonaise" (The Japanese Bride). The goal of the project was to take the design from an initial concept all the way through to final physical on-site construction.

Technical Translation & 3D Modeling

To manage the workload, the class was divided into specialized subgroups. My team was assigned the design, documentation, and construction of the pavilion's white outer "envelope".

Before we could build anything, we needed to ensure that the math worked. I was tasked with taking the 2D technical documents produced by the other teams and translating them into a fully detailed 3D model, including the necessary connections and joints. This allowed us to verify that the complex structural geometry would actually fit together properly in the real world, which allowed for the creation of our fully detailed assembly documents.

Physical Fabrication & Assembly

We were also tasked with identifying the specific materials, engineering how the envelope would seamlessly connect with the rest of the wooden structure, and mapping out the exact drilling patterns.
Using the 3D model as our guide, I helped draft a comprehensive, step-by-step build process.

We then traveled to a workshop in Lyons to fabricate the envelope components and physically fit them to the full structure to ensure nothing was missing.

The pavilion was then transporting back for the final on-site assembly in Versailles just ahead of the competition.

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