Kickoff 2026 I Production + Fabrication

Following the initial push of production last week, this week was dedicated to scaling up our output while hitting major assembly milestones. The workshop was busy, as we focused heavily on continuous sanding and keeping the CNC machine running to produce a high volume of nodes and edges.

(Photos Taken by Andy Nguyen and Allie Male)

Students Work Together to Assemble Individual Hexagons

We also received our shipment of Alucobond panels, though fabricating those materials is slated for our final stretch.

The biggest highlight of the week came when we finally pieced our components together, first assembling an individual hexagon and pentagon portion together to check the fit. Building on that success, we moved straight into testing the fully assembled geodesic frame, bringing all of our fabricated parts together into one cohesive structure for the very first time.

Students Begin Assembling the Structure

Kickoff 2026 I Assembly Sequences and Final Drawings

After wrapping up our earlier 1:6 physical scale models, this week was all about stepping up to the real deal. We officially crossed the finish line on design development, culminating in a highly successful 1:1 prototyping iteration that proved our structural concept could stand firm at full scale.

We also received a massive boost to start the week with the arrival of our generously donated wood from Upper Canada Forest Products and Accoya. The team spent the first part of the week unloading, organizing, and moving the entire delivery into the workspace.

(Photos Taken By Andy Nguyen and Allie Male)

Students Work Together to Unload Materials

With our materials prepped and the precise node and edge details completely locked in, the team enthusiastically shifted gears from theoretical testing into full-on production mode. The workshop floor has been bustling as we started utilizing the CNC machine to its full potential, creating our nodes and members every second we could get.

CNC Cutting the Nodes

Workshop Technician Filip Tsiler 

Testing the Fit of the Node 

 

 

It has been incredibly thrilling to watch the newly arrived raw materials be cut, routed, and trimmed into the actual, full-sized pieces of our installation. Seeing these individual components finally take physical shape is a massive milestone that makes the upcoming assembly feel more real than ever.

Students Begin Assembling Nodes

First test of a fully assembled hexagon

Park(ing) Day 2025 | Assembly

The fabrication is now completed and the components are ready to be assembled. To make sure that the installation day goes smoothly, we preassembled into 7 components.

Park(ing) Day 2025 | Fabrication

With the design finalized, we started the fabrication. The work was divided into a few main tasks: cutting the pipes, building the chairs, and cutting the HDPE sheets using the CNC machine.

One of the biggest challenges was cutting the pipes, as the measurements had to be extremely precise to achieve the organic form.

Park(ing) Day 2025 | Final Design

After refining our proposals, we finalized the design using red pipes as the "wall" separating the project from the street. These pipes are organized in an organic mountainous shape, connected by a dense cloud of floating connecting pieces made of HDPE sheets. The thin connectors stabilize the structure but seem to disappear and reappear as people walk past them. The installation has multiple seating where visitors can sit and relax in groups or on their own.

NOVA | Family Day

NOVA landed Monday morning right in time. Children and families had the opportunity to interact with the pavilion for family day. 

One Last Look at NOVA

NOVA | Final Imagery (Day & Night)

Upon the completion of NOVA, the finishing touch of TMU’s 2024 Winter Station was to capture its final physical form. To the delight of the team, the final imagery not only executed the initial renders, but exceeded them! Exemplifying its mission to an even greater extent than expected.

Render vs. Reality

Day & Night