The Build

Sorry for not keeping up to date, it's been a busy week.

The hut was erected last weekend on site at The Forks. Throughout the week it has received several coats of water, which have now frozen into ice.


Photo: MatthieLéger
The fibre glass pieces and the rest of the components were transported to the site on Saturday morning. After moving the components to the ice, the structural bays were put in place.

Photo: MatthieLéger
At first, we attempted to lay the entire structure flat, clamp each connection, and then raise the pieces to stand upright. However, due to the lack of friction on the ice, it was too difficult to adjust the structure correctly before clamping it in place. Instead, we opted to construct the hut as we had originally tested outside on numerous occasions.

Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger



Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger


Once the structure was in place, the fabric had to be threaded through the tips. This was quite the experience! By flattening the structure we were able to bend it horizontally, enough to fit the fabric over the tips. Then, starting at one end, the fibreglass bays were returned their positions and re-attached to the rebar.

Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger


Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger
Photo: MatthieLéger


After a week of watering the building, the Cocoon team is excited for the opening this weekend!


with text from Kailey Kroeker




Foundation Test

01 18 2011


Over the weekend, the proposed foundation, 1" steel rebar embedded into the ice, was tested.


 A hole was drilled at 60°  (equal to the angle of the base of the fibreglass structure) 14" into the ice. The water on the ice is from a hole previously drilled, to find out the depth of the ice (16").






24 HOURS LATER...




Testing the ice bond...


As a result of this testing, when the warming hut is built (next week!) the steel will be placed into the ice at around 70° - 80°. This will allow the foundation to open up the base of the structure slightly. 

Fibreglass Rebar Testing


01 18 2011



Together with engineers Dr. Dagmar Svecova and Payam Nabipay, the Cocoon team completed some exciting tests of the rebar at the Civil Engineering and structures lab yesterday.
photo: Lancelot Coar

We tested the strain on the bars given several dimensions of bending diameter/radius. 
photo: Lancelot Coar
We used strain gagues to test this at the top of the bar.  The test was to see if the current bending that we are using on the structure (aprox. 2.2m in diameter or 1.1m in radius) is within 25% of the allowable strength (building/design code).  It was very exciting to discover that our current bending only puts about 19% stress on the bars!  In fact from the pictures you can see that the bending that we were able to test to was about a 1.2 m diameter or .75m radius which only caused the material to stress to about 22%-25% allowable stress.

Anyway, this is very good news and we are continuing to modify and advance the design and fabrication of the material, and we are discovering that our intuition and design method is within the range of conventional design loads on the rebar.

(with text from Lancelot Coar)

Setting Up

2011 01 14



A trial run setting up the cocoon structure at the university, followed by the lateral load testing of the structure. After the first load test, the rope tie backs were positioned lower, to the point of loading, to act more effectively.

Fabric Testing

2011 01 13


Photo: Lancelot Coar

Photo: Lancelot Coar

Several different fabrics are tested for their strength and ability to absorb water. All of the fabrics pictured are variations of a fleece type fabric.

The water is added gradually, and allowed to freeze before adding subsequential layers. 

While the fabric is simply  'hung up' for testing, its configuration in the final design is important as it is what gives the structure strength. This is evident in the images above. Where the fabric is pulled by the clamps, it creases, giving it strength in that direction. 

Working Through The Model

2011 01 13


Much of the design process takes place upstairs in C.A.S.T, at the pegboard table.
Photo: Brent

The scale model uses piano wire as an analogue for the flexible fibreglass structure of the warming hut.

Photo: Brent

Photo: Brent

Different iterations of fabric patterns are placed on the model to help arrive at a resolution for the design.

The fabric will be sprayed with water from the river flowing beneath the ice (and the structure itself), adding stability to the structure and also acting as a windbreak and as a screen for the projection of films. 

Adjusting the Structure

2011 01 13


Photo: David Curry


The fiberglass structure is being 'fine tuned' for the upcoming load test.