新年明けましておめでとうございます
We wish you the very best in the new year–health, joy, prosperity.
In Japan, in the new year’s morning, we look to the east at the sun coming up and celebrate the peace of life, renew our appreciation for living, and make the commitment to achieve something.
This is the flag of Japan: the rising sun.
みめよりこころ
Romaji:
Mime yori kokoro
Literally:
Seen from the second heart; Heart rather than seeming.
Meaning:
Handsome is as handsome does.
from Daizen News, 1 December 2011
We’ve told our story! This portfolio is a sustained look at what we’ve accomplished, our work philosophy, and our thoughts on everything from standing out to improvising. Download it free, or receive an alluring offset-printed version for $15 (includes shipping).
27 projects. 76 pages. B.C. timber meets Japanese precision.
from Daizen News, 1 December 2011
A never-ending challenge at Daizen is to help both homeowners and associated building professionals understand the multi-layered, interdependent options in choosing timber for a building project. As they say, it’s not trivial.
Dai recently made a concerted effort to explore and demystify the several choices everyone faces when clarifying their vision of the ideal
dwelling (or other construction). The resulting eight-page article, Understanding the Timber, is now available for download from the Daizen website.
It’s worth your while to peruse this document. If you do, you’ll understand much better why there is no one answer to what seems to an outsider like such a simple question. In fact, wood is a profound personal choice.
Read Morefrom Daizen News, 1 December 2011
Dai Ona is one of four wood connection specialists who will present at a two-day workshop hosted by WoodWorks BC and Canadian Wood Council. It takes place Thursday, December 8 and Friday, December 9 of this year, at the Marriott Fairfield Inn in Kelowna. The workshop, geared toward structural engineers, begins with connections in the CSA 086 Wood Design Standard and progresses from there, covering both timber frame and log structure connections.
Other speakers include Adam Robertson (Canadian Wood Council), Ghasan Doudak (University of Ottawa), and Robin Zirnhelt
(Cascade Engineering Group, Canmore).
For more information, call Linda Schauer, 877-929-9663 (ex 6); email her; or see the Wood-Works.ca web page about it, including a PDF fact sheet.
New Wood Design Manual
The Canadian Wood Council’s new 2010 Wood Design Manual will be available at the workshop, at a deep discount: $117 (list price $190).
Read More
from Daizen News, 1 December 2011
Have you noticed? In the spirit of going deep rather than wide, we’ve
changed our newsletter to monthly rather than every two weeks. Less email for
you to read . . . more call for us to be thoughtful.
from Daizen News 1 Nov 2011
What I wanted to do was to paint sunlight on the side of a house.
—Edward Hopper
Ian Petticrew | Wikimedia Commons
Read Morefrom Daizen News, 1 Nov 2011
The BC Wood Global Buyers Mission, September 8–10 in Whistler, B.C., was a productive conference. It’s an invitation-only networking and tradeshow event for international wood buyers and Canadian manufacturers.
Interested participants at the Daizen booth.
My presentation to architects was focused on why and how timber twists, and how we can control it. In my talk, I also compared glulam to kiln-dried timber, both of which I use. I clarified the optimal size and length of both glulam and kiln-dried wood (based on cost-effectivbeness) to use in timber designs for public buildings.
A twisted timber.
A log that has split.
Shear at upper peg connection after timber has shrunk.
Read Morefrom Daizen News, 1 Nov 2011
To help in a new fundraising effort for Japan Tsunami Relief, Daizen joined a bonsai day held in the Japanese Bonsai Garden Art, in Surrey. The event was very successful.
Lots of bonsai lovers got together for intensive demonstrations of the growing art.
The Taiko drum performance (complete with dancing dragon) truly touched and energized the audience.
We prepared six benches and eight blocks to donate, and all of them sold.
In our Daizen gate-building relief effort, we have just three gates left for sale. They are displayed at Japanese Bonsai Garden Art, 16164 24th Ave, Surrey, B.C.
Thanks to all volunteers, and to all of you who came.
Read Morefrom Daizen News, 1 Nov 2011
Epoxy is a very reliable substance that bonds wood, steel, and stone. The epoxy itself must be precisely formulated for the specific materials it will bond. In our continued testing, we have found some epoxies that pass the test of a bond between wood and steel, and some that fail.
Here, at a Wood Works! BC conference in December, 2010, the steel rod broke (at 12) before the epoxy or the wood did.
Our testing apparatus.
Recently, we’ve been testing and using an epoxy fastening system from Japan that bonds wood, steel, and stone together. The other benefit of this system is its epoxy delivery method: it allows us to place all structural members and inject the epoxy afterwards. It injects from the middle of the rod, flows out from the end, and fills out from all the injection holes so we know the entire space is filled with epoxy, ensuring that the connection is properly done.
Above, square hole in the very bottom of the post, with the injection gun in place. The nose is within the wood, not visible.
Once the epoxy is applied, the only visible sign is a small square hole in the post bottom. We can leave as is or we can plug it with wood.
The Japanese diagram below explains how the epoxy is filled inside the timber by using red colored epoxy and two different types of rod. The rod comes in various lengths, and application is not limited just to a post connection.
If you’re interested in wood, there are some upcoming Wood Works! BC luncheon conferences in November and December.
Read More