Winner Of Evolo Skyscraper Design Competition Nails It Without Nails

The eVolo skyscraper competition was “established in 2006 to recognize outstanding ideas for vertical living through the novel use of technology, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organizations.” Every year since 2006 it has been a ritual of mine to diss the winners and second-guess the judges. Not this year!

Yong Ju Lee’s “Vernacular Versatility” is just amazing. He takes the carpentry techniques that were used to build traditional Korean houses, a system that builds out of wood without nails, and goes up, way up.

The detail in this presentation is extraordinary, it’s got gorgeous renderings and sections;

Here is a zoom in on that section, showing the level of detail that’s going on here.

He’s even done a 3D model printout.

I will admit a bias toward wood construction, and have often noted that we have many lessons to learn from old buildings. This project combines it all, with incredible draughtsmanship and model building to boot. Yong Ju Lee and the Evolo jury (which is pretty impressive too!) nailed it this year. Wow.