Accordion

Bee Breeders European Velo Stops, Fall 2018

​1st Prize

​Collaborator: Ivory Wang

Combinatory Velo Frames

Accordion rest stops merge the mechanical elegance of bicycles with the rustic pleasures of a primitive hut. A series of rigid glulam wood frames combine to create a shelter, which can scale up from a simple seating area to a full cabin, depending on location and budget. Considering the bike trail as a site, the Accordion rest stops are situated parallel to the road and the river, creating an inhabitable threshold between the river and trail. Inside, a full cabin contains a kitchen counter, a shower & toilet module, and flanking bunk beds. Like Gottfried Semper’s primitive hut, a hearth, in the form of a stove pipe fireplace, anchors the heart of the velo shed. ​

Concept

Evoking Nature

​Biking evokes a romantic notion of travel, of scaling hills and mountains and traversing great distances on your own pace. Along the route of the EuroVelo 6, cycling pilgrims journey through the heart of Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. Tracing the edges of rivers, this water route offers panoramic vistas of mountains, lakes, and valleys. More recently, the rising popularity of Velo tourism reveals a growing public interest in nature, of escaping into the countryside without automobiles, disconnected from the grid. How can rest stops compliment these unspoiled landscapes, while mediating between nature and machine? 

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Strategy

Adaptable Frames
A series of rigid glulam wood frames combine to create a shelter, which can scale up from a simple seating area to a full cabin, depending on location and budget. Considering the bike trail as a site, the Accordion rest stops are situated parallel to the road and the river, creating an inhabitable threshold between the river and trail. Inside, a full cabin contains a kitchen counter, a shower & toilet module, and flanking bunk beds. Like Gottfried Semper’s primitive hut, a hearth, in the form of a stove pipe fireplace, anchors the heart of the velo shed. ​

Design

Sectional Play
As the rest stops enlarge through the addition of frames on both sides, the frame profiles gradually become taller, opening up the space and accommodating the height of bunk beds. This creates a curving, iconic silhouette reminiscent of two mountain peaks, or the curve of a bicycle wheel.  

Implementation

Functional Respite
The full velo shed has two elevations: an introverted face along the bicycle path, with small circular apertures providing privacy for the overnight guests; and an extroverted, arcade-like facade facing the river, with swinging doors that open out towards nature. The bookends consists of large-format polycarbonate panels, which reveals a distinctive silhouette in the landscape. Inside, a full cabin contains a kitchen counter, a shower & toilet module, and flanking bunk beds. Like Gottfried Semper’s primitive hut, a hearth, in the form of a stove pipe fireplace, anchors the heart of the velo shed.