Project by Jessica Lin, Violeta Mastronardi
This project proposes a temporary, disassemblable storage and habitation structure constructed from thinned timber to support forest restoration practices. Thinning reduces canopy density and ladder fuels, enabling the safe implementation of prescribed fire as a critical tool for ecosystem health, resilience, and regeneration. The structure is made of thinned wood harvested from the forest; conceived as a reticulated, interlocking wood system, elevated and articulated with a single-slope roof to respond to Lake Tahoe’s snow loads and seasonal occupation patterns. Deployed cyclically, it operates as a field headquarters and short-term lodging during active thinning periods, and as a ventilated solar drying shed during dormant months, accelerating lumber curing by approximately 30–60% relative to air drying. A dual-layer corrugated polycarbonate envelope integrates a composting chamber, transforming residual biomass into heat and organic matter. The project reframes forestry by-products as material, environmental, and spatial resources.
