This project imagines a future guildhouse for timber framers, sited in the northern German city of Lübeck, building on the history of this dead but formerly valuable building typology. Working from a research phase investigating the possibilities of a complex series of nodal glulam components, the project speculates on the development of glulam fabrication technologies specifically with a focus on connection strategies.

The building is made up of a series of prefabricated components with in-built nodal connections which can be easily assembled on-site. The project looks to leverage the expressive possibilities of the system, treading the line between referencing the traditions of craftspeople organisations in Germany and a future typology influenced by digital possibilities.

The gable end type, prevalent throughout Lübeck’s old city, is the key reference for the project. The resulting building re-interprets the gable end, exploring the expressive potentials of engineered timber.