Building Skyscrapers with a laser beam
In November of 2003, third year students working on a mid-rise skyscraper design for downtown Montreal experimented with the School’s shiny new X-660 laser cutter. Under the supervision of chief workshop technician David Speller, students used the X-660 to cut 3mm sheets of wood to build façade study models of their skyscraper.
 Laser Cutter X-660 |
 Close up of Laser Cutter X-660 |
The students built a portion of the skyscraper’s envelope to a depth of 3 metres in plan, section and elevation, at a scale of 1:50. The stunning results showcase the usefulness of the laser for precision model making.
A view of some finished projects on display
The X-660 is a computer controlled laser system with on screen (computer) simulation of engraving/cutting jobs. The X-660 works on wood, plastic, fabric, paper, glass, leather, stone, ceramic, rubber. Using it is (almost!) as easy as sending any print job to a regular printer or plotter.
The project was carried out strictly in unpainted basswood. But a mix of the cutting and engraving features of the X-660 allowed for a variety of representations. Controlled engraving simulated stone and glass (see examples below).
 Stone |
 Stone |
 Glass |
 Glass |
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Students quickly fabricated precisely scaled versions of large structural elements such as trusses and small architectural components such as external sun louvers (see examples). |
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   Trusses and sun louvers |
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Finally, the cutter allowed for a rigourous study in relief of the interaction between structural and curtain wall details (see examples below).
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 Interaction between structural and curtain wall details |
The laser cutter is up and running. Come check it out! View a short movie of the laser cutter in action.
For more information about the course ARCH 405, please visit the studio web page.
