THOROUGHFARE HORSE & TIMBER
Big block with a little block. With wings and ribs.
And squeezing in and out. And shooting through.
A lacing of patterns. A grace of motor. A system of fluidity.
A castle that’s human. A human that’s castle.
The ebb and flow of horsetrot.
Thoroughfare is a medium scale ‘nature’ center with commercial and public use. It is an exploration and functional display of the lumber industry in Michigan. The idea is that the architecture presents itself as paper thin and as monumental block at the same time. The underlying grid of the plan negotiates itself to be anonymous from anything but its own inherent spacemaking. Every part of the building is essential to the timber process it supports, including stables on the lower levels for horses, silos for feed and a shipping bay on the backside. If you unknowingly stumbled upon the building in the forest, it may appear scary and you may take a discreet photo and keep walking. However, you could also visit and get a coffee.