Woodworking
My first introduction to woodworking was in 2017 at Wellesley College’s sculpture studio, where I met my mentor Andrew Kemp. There, I gained the foundation for woodworking that would eventually lead me to build entire dwellings.
Rathaus (2018)
Wood, hardware, guitar strings, Rattus norvegicus domestica
“The room is an instrument.”
I first heard this phrase in passing during a lecture, and immediately envisioned a room which was literally a playable instrument. I decided to create exactly that for my pet rat, Remi, using wood and guitar strings. I attached the guitar strings at angles throughout the structure in a way that Remi would inevitably run into them, creating her own music.
This was my first “large-scale” woodworking project, and it was challenging to figure out the angles and measurements of such a funky, irregular structure. It was well worth it in the end!
Let’s see her performance!
I was inspired to create a musical dwelling for Remi, as she had always shown great interest in my guitar. When I played, she would immediately try to find out where the sound was coming from, and would often crawl up onto the guitar and lay there. It was extremely sweet and moving to see this little creature enjoying the music.
Dwellings for Humans
In autumn of 2020 and winter of 2021, I had the opportunity to build on Woodland Harvest Mountain Farm’s land, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.
The Octagon
This octagonal structure is meant to house up to four people, and includes a loft and balcony. Together with a group of students, we built this entirely off-the-grid.
“Toiny”
Have you ever seen the popular YouTube series, “Living Big in a Tiny House,” hosted by New Zealander Bryce Langston? We got our inspiration for the name of our tiny house from Bryce’s lovely accent. This building is meant to house up to three people, complete with a loft, fully functioning woodstove, and porch.
