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BUILDING CONNECTION
SUMMER 2016
FRAMING FUTURES
A
s part of my journalism studies, I wrote many articles
to gain practical experience for my current job.
Accounting students can be given sample numbers to
work with to gain similar experience and for many industries
students can likewise get hands-on experience during their
studies.
For students learning to build a timber frame house
however, it isn’t practical for curriculums to have students
building their own timber frame homes during their studies.
A new timber frame house model kit is now giving
educators the option of having their students learn how to
build a timber frame house on a smaller scale.
Some education research indicates that as much as 80%
of people are visual learners.
Despite this, DNA Plans co-founder Matt Hecker learnt
how to build a timber frame house from a text book while at
TAFE.
“Timber framing construction is a very practical thing so
it’s a daunting task to wrap your head around it just from
listening to a lecturer and reading a text book,” Matt says.
This always stuck with Matt as he finished his studies and
went on to co-found his business, DNA Plans.
After building more knowledge in the field from running
the architecture and drafting business, he decided it was
time to create a product to help future students learn timber
framing construction.
Alongside his business partner Paul, he created the ‘Kit
Home Learning Model’.
The model comes with all the timber needed to accurately
build a timber frame house, approximately 1:25 scale of an
actual house.
Students use step by step instructions, templates and
labels to build the timber frame house, ideally learning all the
terminology and processes along the way.
Various configurations include a conventional roof or
truss roof systems, single or double storey options with
prefabricated components to speed up the construction
process.
THE ACT OF BUILDING IS HANDS-ON, SO WHY ARE STUDENTS LEARNING CONSTRUCTION OUT OF A TEXT BOOK?
JOE YOUNG
LOOKS AT A NEW EDUCATIONAL TOOL WHICH PROVIDES HANDS-ON LEARNING FOR TIMBER FRAME
HOUSE CONSTRUCTION.
FUNCTIONAL LEARNING