Digifabshop makes U.S. cross-laminated timber international debut at Design Miami
Digifabshop
MIAMI — New York-based digital fabrication company, Digifabshop, used CLT to build three pre-fabricated, flat-packed, and rapidly re-assembled freestanding rooms to house internationally known ceramics gallery Jason Jacques Inc.’s solo exhibits by Gareth Mason, Kim Simonsson and Beate Kuhn.
 
The project also gave U.S. manufactured cross-laminated timber a spotlight at the international design show Design Miami, exposing the trending building material to theleading taste makers from around the world. 

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Design Miami is a place to do something new and interesting, and to have a lot of design community eyes on it,” said John Tompkins, Digifabshop president. “This exhibit was an opportunity to showcase U.S. manufactured cross-laminated timber, which we think is going to be a real game changer in the years to come. We’re proud to have partnered with the Jason Jacques gallery and Oregon-based D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations to bring this ambitious project to fruition.”

Digifabshop used 4” thick Douglas Fir panels from D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations to create intimate 8’x8’x8’ and 8’x8’x16’ rooms to showcase the ceramics. The CLT panels were assembled using waterjet cut and powder coated custom hot rolled steel brackets, and then set on 12" x 12" hemlock beam bases. The rooms were first assembled at the Digifabshop facility in Hudson, NY, where they were then disassembled and loaded onto a flatbed truck, before ultimately being re-assembled inside the Design Miami tent. 
“Cross laminated timber really is on the forefront of design,” said John Redfield, D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations chief operating officer. “It is exciting to see this product be embraced by the architecture community and that folks like Digifabshop are using it to do something new. Exposure at Design Miami puts CLT on the map and hopefully front of mind for designers thinking about sustainable building.” 
Architects around the world are using mass timber construction systems to build tall buildings as well as prefabricated structures. Mass timber buildings use cross-laminated timber and glu-laminated beams as the building structure, often times to replace conventional materials like steel, masonry and concrete. Mass timber buildings have a substantially lower environmental impact than traditional building methods.
Powder-coated brackets are bolted to the corners on Cross Laminated Timber panels
The Digifabshop team used the Design Miami exhibit to not just debut cross-laminated timber, but to announce that is expanding its services into pre-fabricated construction. 
“This is our natural next step,” said Tompkins. “We’re coming upon our 10th anniversary building architectural interiors. We have the craftsmen, the machinery and the skills. Cross-laminated timber opens up a whole new scale for us. Design Miami was our first foray into pre-fab building for clients. And we're excited to continue to push the concept further from here.” 
Showing the strength of CLT panels at D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations
The exhibit was on display at Design Miami from Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. In total, Design Miami estimated that over 30,000 arts patrons attended the event. 
Founded in 2007, Digifabshop is a highly agile digital fabrication company specializing in custom architectural interiors, displays, and fixtures. With in-house teams specializing in CAD, 3D modeling and scripting, CNC machining, woodwork, metal work, solid surfaces, upholstery, and finishing, Digifabshop has a unique ability to produce a vast array of custom work, while reducing coordination demands and increasing precision and speed to completion on it's customers' projects.
 
In the years ahead, Digifabshop will explore making at a new scale as well, as it delves into building construction and looks to leverage it's same melding of digital and craft. Learn more at: http://digifabshop.com/
D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations is the first company in the U.S. to receive APA/ANSI certification to manufacture structural cross-laminated timber panels. Founded in 1951, D.R. Johnson is a second-generation, family-owned wood products manufacturer located in Riddle, Oregon – the heart of Oregon’s timber country. An affiliated company, Riddle Laminators, was built at the same location in 1967 to manufacture glue-laminated beams. Going forward, both the glu-lam beams and the cross-laminated timber panels will be manufactured and sold under the business name D.R. Johnson. Learn more at www.oregonclt.com
Manhattan-based Jason Jacques Gallery holds the world’s most comprehensive collection of nineteenth-century European Art Pottery. Specializing in the Art Pottery Renaissance centered in 1890s France, our collection includes Art Nouveau and Japoniste masterworks by stoneware artists. In 2010, it expanded to include contemporary ceramic arts. By juxtaposing contemporary artists with past masters, Jason Jacques Gallery has maintained the highest standards and present only the most sought-after and critically-acclaimed artists. Learn more at jasonjacques.com 
 

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Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.