Braced Mobiletto

This project is born thanks to “A Wardian Case”. The reuse of the wardian case steel structure proves simple. Only one set of horizontal steel rods is replaced by 6 longer rods. The three decks are made by gluing small sheets of 9mm birch ply onto vertical strips of the same material. These vertical strips provide the necessary stiffness. A first load test highlights that the steel frame needs reinforcement to reduce deflection and avoid sway. Both issues are resolved by introducing tension-only braces. In retrospect, turnbuckles would allow for better control of the tension in each brace and the birch ply could have been even thinner.